Those pushing the bag tax in Illinois may not care much about the body of research on this topic. They’re looking out for a different kind of green. In a scramble for new revenue and an unwillingness to take on any reform on the spending side, the Statehouse has turned to creative ways to nickel-and-dime residents.

County board members narrowly voted to hike the county’s property tax levy by nearly 12 percent to make up for a $500,000 shortfall.

City officials suggest Moline will face a budget deficit without a property tax hike – which would only worsen the property tax plight of area homeowners.

While Quad Cities geography connects East Moline and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Illinois’ abundance of school districts means their administrative environments are worlds apart. By consolidating duplicative administrative bodies, East Moline could generate taxpayer savings.

Homeowners’ 2017 property tax bills (payable in 2018) outpace the state and national average, when measured as a share of home value.