Kane County Reporter

Republican state Rep. Dan Ugaste doesn’t see how lawmakers in Springfield can continue to avoid the elephant in the room that is soaring property taxes.

“We just finished another week of session and have yet to address one of the biggest problems the state faces,” Ugaste (R-St. Charles) said during a press conference for property tax reform held at the end of the legislative session in the Illinois House. “All voters tell us that’s property [taxes]. I’ve gone to doors in three election cycles, and every time they’re talking about property taxes. We keep failing to address, and yet the cost of living in Illinois keeps rising on homeowners and people that have to rent.”

Ugaste argues all of it is coming at a significant cost to the state.

“We’re one of three states in the country losing people,” Ugaste added. “It’s not that we’re just not growing; it’s the fact that we're losing people. One of [the] biggest reasons I hear people are leaving besides lack of opportunity for kids is property taxes are too high. It needs to be a top priority in the state. Back in 2019, Gov. [J.B.] Pritzker said I am committed to working with lawmakers on both sides of [the] aisle to convene a task force where they can engage in conversation about how to reduce the burden of property taxes faced by homeowners, but his task force amounted to absolutely nothing.”

 A recent WalletHub survey found Illinois’ property taxes ranked second for highest in the country in 2021, behind only New Jersey. Overall, Illinois homeowners average $4,942 in property taxes on the U.S. median-valued home of $217,500 or double the national average.

The findings mark the fourth year the state has ranked second-highest in the WalletHub survey, with the taxes this year being $237 more than the 2020 survey.

“Two years later and the governor hasn’t led on the issue, and Illinois homeowners are stuck with the bill,” Ugaste said. “We’ve done nothing for property taxes, and yet they desperately need relief. We can, and we must still enact real property tax relief for the people of Illinois during this session.”