Kane County Reporter

Officials in Kane County are considering raising property taxes and implementing a county sales tax in response to the expected increased costs associated with the policies under the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act. 

State Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) and other Republican lawmakers have been highly critical of the law, and argue the possibility for higher taxes in Kane County is proof it's extremely flawed.

 "As feared when passed, the Democrats' Criminal Reform legislation has handcuffed law enforcement, reduced penalties and sentences on violent offenders and convicted felons, and will eliminate cash bail allowing charged violent offenders back on the street within hours of being arrested," DeWitte wrote in a July 23 Facebook post. "Now our local Democrats need to raise our taxes in order to fund this folly, which makes our communities less safe than they could be."

According to Shaw Local, a committee of Kane County Board members plans to raise property taxes up to 5% in the next three years and is thinking about putting a sales tax referendum on the ballot this November, citing the SAFE-T Act as the reason behind the need for additional tax revenue. It's estimated the SAFE-T Act will cost at the bare minimum an additional $20 million over the next three years. 

"Let your county board reps know how you feel about a new sales tax," DeWitte said in the post. "Could there be a worse time to do this if at all?!!"

The board doesn't need voter approval to increase property taxes, but it's up to the voters whether a 0.5% countywide sales tax is established, Shaw Local reported. Some board members pointed to record-high inflation as a reason voters would likely reject the idea. 

"The voting public is going to say you got ($200 million in federal COVID relief funds); I'm paying $6 a gallon for gas; and now you want to increase my sales tax," John Martin, a board member, said according to Shaw Local. "I don't see it happening."

According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on July 13, costs are up 9.1% this year, which marked a record 40-year high. In the last month, the cost of energy has increased by 7.5%, gas prices climbed 11.2% and food prices rose 1%. In the last year, gas prices have soared 59.9% while food costs are up 10.4%.

Under the SAFE-T Act, cash bail would be eliminated by next year, which allows certain people accused of felonies to avoid being detained prior to standing trial and imposes restrictions on law enforcement in the state. According to Injustice Watch, police unions and other law-enforcement groups consider the law a threat to public safety. 

The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC), which advocated on behalf of the legislation, released a statement earlier this year criticizing Republicans for calling the effort to make the justice system fairer for minorities "dangerous." 

“With this law, we have worked directly with community organizations, legal rights advocates and law enforcement to make our justice system more effective and more just at the same time. That’s why the Illinois State Police and other law enforcement groups continue to work with us on this bill," according to a joint statement by State Rep. Sonya Harper, ILBC joint chair; state Rep. Kam Buckner, house chair of the ILBC; and state Senator Robert Peters, Senate chair of the ILBC.