North Cook News

State Rep. Tom Morrison said dealing with property taxes is just a symptom of a much larger problem.

“The Legislature is considering legislation that would permit counties to simply delay property tax collection, not reduce those taxes,” Morrison told North Cook News. “If that is a stand-alone bill, I’ll support it. We have to do more for our taxpayers than just permit the delaying of their bills. We have to address and reform the underlying causes of those high tax bills — consolidation, pension reform, unfunded mandate relief, and more."

On Friday, the third day of a special session, Illinois legislators passed a bill that will allow counties to hold off on interest penalties for 120 days for residents late with property tax payments, as Cook and Sangamon counties had already done. The Legislature also agreed to postpone all property tax sales in counties with less than 3 million people.

The bill renews, without the need for application, all homestead exemptions for qualified seniors, veterans with disabilities, and people with disabilities.

It was one of several bills passed during the special session, which primarily focused on trying to patch the $7 billion hole in the state budget. The Legislature has been adjourned for more than two months due to COVID-19 concerns and agreed to resume work for a three-day session on May 20.

But it failed to complete work on Friday, and reconvened on Saturday. 

Morrison, a Republican who represents District 54, said a lot remains to do, and the bill to delay penalties on property taxes is not the end of that issue.

“Property tax bills remain the top sore spot for residents in my district,” he said. “Unlike income taxes or consumption taxes like the sales tax that could fluctuate, property taxes continue to climb for most people even as their home values remain stagnant or fall. The property tax bill is due even if household incomes take a hit due to the pandemic or other economic conditions.”

Morrison said solutions are available — if there is the political will to enact them. The public, weary of paying the second-highest property tax rate in the country, is eager for reform.

“The Legislature must give local residents and local units of governments the policy tools to operate more cost-effectively, and then those locally elected boards must act accordingly in the best interests of their taxpayers, not the special influence groups that are maintaining the status quo,” he said. “I’m hearing from some of my local governments that they’re reducing headcount by attrition and cross-training employees. Some of the local governments are also collaborating and pooling resources. They’re doing this voluntarily."

“I urge more of this, and the Legislature should act to formalize and help accelerate these moves to save the taxpayers on their property tax bills,” Morrison said.

He said Democrats must decide to take the matter seriously and look at the root problems.

“Lawmakers from both parties keep talking about the issue of property taxes, but I join my Republican colleagues in fighting for the actual policy changes that would address the underlying costs, not just shift or delay the burden,” Morrison said.