North Cook News

Marilyn Smolenski said Illinois property taxes growing six times faster than incomes from 2008 to 2015 puts a strain on families.

Citing U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Smolenski, the Park Ridge Republican vying for the seat held by Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) in the 55th District, responded to the Illinois Policy report “Rising property tax burdens squeeze Illinois families,” by telling North Cook News the figures have a real negative impact on families in the state.

“As property taxes increase at a faster rate than household incomes, the tax burden increases,” Smolenski said. “This is hitting many Illinois families hard; their budgets are being stretched to the limits and they are being taxed out of their homes.”

Smolenski said rising property taxes have to stop.

“I’m running to keep our families together and give homeowners the stability they deserve,” Smolenski, who owns Nickel and Lace, a women’s concealed holster brand, said.

The board member of the Republican Women of Park Ridge said once elected, she promises to fight for a hard 1-percent cap on property taxes as well as necessitate voter support for any forthcoming property tax surge.

“I support enacting a 1-percent hard cap because property taxes on a $300,000 home should not exceed $3,000, and homeowners deserve long-term property tax stability,” Smolenski said.

She said less is more when it comes local government.

“Illinois taxpayers fund nearly 7,000 units of local government, which is the highest total in the nation,” Smolenski said. “We don’t have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem.”

There is someone to blame, she said.

“My opponent, Marty Moylan, has not been an effective legislator,” Smolenski said. “He talks a big game about freezing property taxes, which is a temporary fix, but nothing has changed during his three terms.”

The 55th House District covers Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Arlington Heights and the Northwest Side of Chicago.