DECATUR, IL… State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decatur) issued the following response after Governor Pritzker blamed local governments for significant property tax increases as reported in a new study.
“Poor policy decisions made in Springfield, such as failing to fully fund the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) or provide stable funding to schools, have continued to impact local governments—often forcing them to raise taxes and fees to close budget gaps, further burdening homeowners,” said Rep. Deering. “Contrary to Governor Pritzker’s comments, the property tax burden did not spiral out of control without the contributions of Springfield; it was driven by years of unfunded mandates being handed down.”
The report released by the Cook County Treasurer’s Office titled “How State Law Failed to Stop Decades of Skyrocketing Property Taxes,” found that since 1995, Cook County’s property tax burden has increased by 182%, outpacing both inflation and wage growth over that period. It also highlighted loopholes in Illinois’ Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), which have allowed both non-home rule and home rule communities to raise property taxes through various workarounds.
Gov. Pritzker, who is well known for failing to take responsibilities for problems he creates, blamed school boards for failing to reduce property taxes shifted blame to local governments, including school districts. “Well, I want to remind you that property taxes are not determined by the state of Illinois, but rather by local governments,” said Pritzker. “And so they’ve continued to ratchet up property taxes over and over and over again. And that has led to a continued very high property tax burden on homeowners across the state.”
Rep. Deering, who also serves as a local school board member, pushed back on the Governor’s comments, citing her firsthand experience balancing school district budgets without reliable state funding.
“Local families and businesses are paying the price of high property taxes. The Governor and the Majority Party have no answers. Only excuses. They have had ample opportunities to advance legislation that would reduce this burden and reform the system, but they continue to deflect. Illinois deserves real leadership—leaders who will take these challenges head-on and deliver results.”
Rep. Deering has been an outspoken advocate for reducing Illinois’ property tax burden and has supported multiple pieces of legislation aimed at providing relief for families.
For more information, please contact Rep. Deering at (217) 876-1968 or visit RepDeering.com.
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