North Cook News

Jillian Bernas shared her disappointment over the failure of incumbent leaders to solve issues on property taxes in Illinois. 

The Republican candidate is challenging Michelle Mussman as state representative in House District 56, which includes Schaumburg. One of Bernas' primary goals as state representative in November is to implement reforms that would lower the property taxes imposed on her constituents. 

According to the Republican candidate, the local government should be given the authority to take charge of the costs in their own respective communities. Bernas also highlighted the importance of economic growth not only to individuals but also to the entire state. Illinois ranks third from the list of highest property taxes paid in the United States.

“I will push for reforms that lower property taxes,” she said. “In Illinois, we already pay the third-highest property tax in the nation pricing families out of their homes and forcing them out of Illinois. The best way to reign in individual property taxes is through economic growth and giving local governments the ability to control costs.”

Aside from pointing out the issues that need urgent resolve, Bernas also noted how the incumbent officials failed to provide solutions. She added that instead of alleviating these concerns, they have actually worsened the situation.

“Local government leaders have called for budget control. Unfortunately, the politicians in Springfield have failed to act,” Bernas stated. “Rather, they have acted to make it worse.”

To prove her point, Bernas took the 145 unfunded mandates suffered by the school districts since 1992. She stated how these mandates, which were not paid for by the state legislators, have driven up the local property taxes.

Bernas further noted how the high cost of property taxes is pushing her constituents out of the state. Citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Republican candidate pointed out that approximately 10,000 residents from Cook County alone left in 2015.

“People are fleeing our state for places where they can enjoy a better quality of life at a lower cost,” she said.

She noted that the strategy of her opponent, Mussman, to further hike property taxes will lead to more losses. Bernas warned that more residents will pack up and leave the state if the increase in the prices will be imposed.

“Continuing to increase property taxes, as has happened on my opponent’s watch, will only speed this exodus,” Bernas noted.

Bernas also stressed that tax increases failed to address the issue of state debt. She noted that the highest tax increase in Illinois’ history, which was implemented in 2011, did not make good on the promise to pay down the backlog of the state’s bills. Although this increase took $31 billion worth of additional revenue from the taxpayers, she noted that the move failed to make any substantial decrease from the state debt.

Bernas went on to point out that the decisions of the past officials only resulted in the growth of pension liabilities. She also noted that their credit rating was downgraded. To top it all off, the state debt saw an increase of $127 million.

“Democrat leadership backed by my opponent want to raise taxes again on top of the high property taxes burdening families,” she said. “I do not believe they have earned the right to again ask for more money.”

“The situation the state of Illinois is in currently is the result of years of bad policy decisions made by politicians making empty promises and profiting from their positions of power. We cannot balance the budget by just raising taxes. We cannot continue to pass along bad policy choices to hard working families and businesses.”

Elk Grove Village, Roselle, Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Rolling Meadows and Bloomingdale are also included in the 56th District.