Tonia Khouri, a DuPage County Board member from Aurora running in the Republican primary in the 49th House District, said property taxes are literally pricing people out of their homes and she has proof to back her words.
Khouri, who is seeking to replace retiring Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago), told the DuPage Policy Journal that in an Illinois Policy Institute report titled “Illinois Losing 1 Resident Every 4-6 Minutes to Other States” said Illinois loses one resident every 4.6 minutes to other states, with millennials leading the pack as they look elsewhere for better opportunities, lower taxes and a more stable government.
"People have finally had enough,” Khouri said. “This is what happens when 86,100 residents leave Illinois in 2015-16 and take their wealth with them. We have to stop the insanity of tax and spend policies if we’re going to get Illinois on the right track."
Touri said the 49th District, which includes parts of DuPage, Cook and Kane counties as well as parts or all of Bartlett, St. Charles, Batavia and West Chicago, is fed up.
“Speaking with residents in the 49th District, their main concern is that property taxes, and taxes in general, are too high and this pressure is causing many to start looking to live elsewhere,” Khouri said. “Our families pay one of the highest property tax rates in the nation and the Chicago Democrats' and Surrender Republicans' answer was to burden us with a 32 percent income tax hike with no reforms.”
Breaking down the numbers, Khouri said the average household in the 49th District will pay an additional $800 to $1,000 a year to Springfield with nothing in return.
“Property taxes are literally pricing people out of their homes, especially our senior population,” Khouri said. “For example, I met John from West Chicago who currently pays $16,000 a year in property taxes.”
Khouri said the constituent recently bought a home of equal market value in Colorado, where he will pay only $4,000 a year in property taxes.
“Unfortunately for us, John is moving to Colorado,” Khouri said. “Taxpayers are fleeing the state in record numbers and taking their wealth and tax dollars with them, leaving those of us still here to make up the difference resulting in even higher taxes.”
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