Dupage Policy Journal

Former Illinois State Rep. Jeanne Ives said people are "tired of talk and they want action" in regards to property taxes. She made the statements on a post on X on September 9. 

"Illinois property taxes are immorally high everywhere, but especially in the South Suburbs," Ives wrote on X. "At the property tax town hall on Sat morning that I asked Cornell Darden to set up, people were tired of talk and they want action. I said their state reps could do two things immediately in veto session."

“Modify the current budget to cut it by $7 billion which is about half the amount of growth in just the last five years and cut checks directly to residential property owners in a designated priority which includes people who have seen double digit percentage increases in the last year," she continued. "Pass an absolute 5-year hard freeze on levies. Government needs to live with less money in this state. I then told them they need to start going to their school board meetings."

On Sept. 5, Illinois Policy wrote about two new tax bills that won’t bring reform. First, Senate Bill 2936 allows cities to “abate property taxes for newly remodeled single-family residences up to the value of the alteration.” But Illinois Policy says it won’t reduce the demand for property taxes, and instead shifts the burden to those who hadn’t remodeled.

Senate Bill 3455 created a study on the property tax system in the entire state. It directs the Illinois Department of Revenue to study the property tax system, as well as comprehensive review of assessments, collections, exemptions and the tax levels. This is like a 2019 mandate from Pritzker, but the recommendations of the Property Tax Relief Task Force were not implemented.

 “I showed a property tax bill where taxes had gone up 93% and only 5% of the kids were at grade level in math at one of the school districts taking money from the homeowner. Reforms must follow on public sector union contracts and pensions.” Ives said to end her post on X.

Jeanne Ives is a former Illinois State Representative who served six years representing House District 42 according to Ballotpedia. She ran for governor in 2018 and sought election to represent Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2020. She resides in Wheaton, IL.