Dupage Policy Journal

Naperville City Council member and mayoral candidate Benjamin M. White says he wants to spend city taxpayer dollars on "green energy," mental health trainings and "diversity and inclusion" initiatives.

But White and his wife, Kimberly, wouldn't have to pay for any of these initiatives themselves. 

On their five bedroom, 3,752 square-foot South Naperville custom home with dark hardwood floors, a basement bar and theatre room adorned with sports memorabilia in honor of White's native Kansas City, Will County records show they pay $0 in property taxes.

Benny White pays no property taxes on his Naperville home. | Will County Treasurer

Zillow currently estimates the home's market value at $950,400. 

According to the Will County records, published on Blockshopper.com, since buying 548 Eagle Brook Ln. for $806,111 from a builder in Sept. 2014, the Whites actually haven't paid property taxes in a single year, avoiding tax bills in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

All told, eight years of property tax-free living has conservatively saved the Whites more than $175,000.

White's neighbors, at 544 Eagle Brook Ln., paid $22,594 in property taxes last year on a similarly-valued home. That's down from $27,965 in 2019.

"It shifts the tax burden to other property owners"

White doesn't pay property taxes because he is taking advantage of a state law that means to exempt heavily-disabled military veterans from paying property taxes.

The law, effective in 2015, says that veterans who are 70 to 100 percent disabled as a result of their military service are exempt from paying up to $250,000 in assessed property valuation.

Assessed valuation isn't actual market valuation. The Whites 2020 assessed valuation was $241,975, or about 25 percent of its current market value, meaning they are completely exempt from paying property taxes on their home.

According to White's LinkedIn page, he served in the U.S. Army from 1987 to 2008. He has served as a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) instructor at Joliet Township H.S. since 2008.

The "Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption" law passed the Illinois House 108-1 in 2017 and applied retroactively.

The one vote against was former State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), a military veteran herself and former classmate of White's at West Point.

"It was a pandering piece of political gimmickry," she told the Daily Herald, at the time. "It's a bad bill because it shifts the tax burden to other property owners."

Six years later, some local officials are trying to amend or repeal the exemption for that reason.

Last month, Mayor Herb Roach of downstate O'Fallon, in St. Clair County near St. Louis, said he is working with other mayors to adjust the veterans property tax exemption, which he said "has caused shortfalls for taxing districts that rely heavily on property taxes, particularly our 3 school districts."

White has served on the Naperville City Council since 2017 and, before that, served on the Indian Prairie School District 204 Board from 2012 to 2017.

He is running against Scott Wehrli and Tiffany Stephens. Election Day is April 4.