A bill meant to provide property tax relief to some Illinoisans will end up putting a greater burden on others, Rep. David Harris (R-Mount Prospect) argues.
House bill 156, introduced in the House by state Rep. Michelle Mussman (D -Schaumburg) with support from both sides of the aisle, proposes several changes to property tax exemptions for senior citizens and veterans, as well as adds exemptions for longtime homeowners and individuals with disabilities.
Harris contends that the bill doesn't solve the problem and in fact makes it worse for some homeowners.
“I would simply like to say this: One of the previous speakers said this will give relief to all property owners," Harris said. "No it won’t. It would give relief just to those folks who are specified: the elderly, those who are longtime occupants, the disabled veterans [and] other disabled individuals who are collecting SSI (Social Security Income). Yes, it will give benefits to them, but it pushes that tax burden to, let’s say, that growing family that just had a new baby. Guess what? Their property taxes are just as much of a burden. They are going to have make up the difference.”
Harris also claims that commercial and industry property owners will also have to help make up the difference. The same amount of taxes will have to be collected, he said, and someone will have to pay them.
HB156 would increase the maximum amount of the general homestead exemption and senior citizens homestead exemption to $8,000 and $6,000, respectively, enhance the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral program by increasing the amount of deferral to $6,000 from $5,000, make several changes to the veterans homestead exemption that would extend the lowest level of exemption, $2,500, to veterans with a 20 percent or 30 percent disability, allow veterans over age 75 without a disability to qualify for the low-level $2,500 exemption, as well as allowing surviving spouses to receive the exemption and, finally, create two new exemptions for longtime homeowners and disabled individuals.
Harris suggested that the bill places House members in a difficult position because voting against it would mean voting against the state’s most vulnerable residents.
“I know we are not going to vote against this because it’s like voting against all those interest groups that we don’t want to have against us, but we need true meaningful property tax reform, not just individual exemptions,” Harris said. “Individually, these may make some sense but, as a whole, the system really does need to do one of two things: either be totally reformed or frozen. Frozen because it is the taxing bodies that extend their levies and collect all the tax dollars and they never collect less. They always collect more, and that’s why property owners have to pay more. That’s why a freeze makes sense.”
HB156 passed the House with 108 “yes” votes and one “no” vote.
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