District 55 state House candidate Dan Gott addressed the issue of property taxes with voters during his campaigning recently, telling residents that putting a halt to property tax increases is one of the most important issues this election.
“The need to freeze property taxes is one of the most important issues facing Illinoisans,” Gott recently told North Cook News.
Gott calls property tax freeze 'smoke and mirrors'
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Although Gott supports a property tax freeze, he is critical of the current legislation, which freezes property taxes for non home-rule communities and exempting increases for home-rule communities. Gott pointed to Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s four-year plan to raise property taxes in Chicago, saying it is a snapshot of what is to come for the rest of Illinois and House Speaker’s Michael Madigan’s plans for higher taxes.
“Whatever Emmanuel does will definitely be done in concert with Madigan’s plan to drive property taxes higher in Illinois,” Gott said. “We need a tax freeze and not a tax hike. Illinois S.B. 316, passed in August 2015, ties together a property tax freeze, a rewrite of the state’s school aid formula and aid for Chicago Public School’s pension system. This is unacceptable to all taxpayers living outside Chicago. They will be paying for schools in their districts while still supporting CPS.”
Gott also said he believes the Senate Bill 318, passed in August of last year, and supported by Senate Democrats, is unfair to taxpayers. He said the bill conflicts with Emanuel’s recent tax and fee hikes, including a $543 million property tax hike.
“This tax amount would bolster Chicago’s underfunded police and fire pensions,” Gott said. “I call this plan to freeze property taxes a ‘smoke and mirrors’ policy. First, you raise property tax and then you freeze the property tax for a limited two years. Illinois middle-class families are being crushed by property taxes.”
Gott, who has centered his campaign in the 55th District around taking on the status quo in Illinois politics, said he supports Gov. Bruce Rauner’s plans to have voter control over property tax increases and government costs. In talking to voters in his district, Gott renewed his call to bring about change this election. He is telling voters to send a message this November and to oust the political insiders he claims have ruined Illinois.
“I remember when Illinois was a thriving state with a bright future,” Gott said. “Over the past 30 years, career politicians have stolen our future from us, leaving Illinois saddled with spiraling debt and a culture of corruption.”
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