Lake County Gazette

Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) is demanding some tax relief for residents in her district who are already literally under water.

The Crystal Lake area has received 20 inches of rain in the past few weeks, Wheeler said, flooding homes and slowing summer business that many area residents count on for their yearly income.

“To add insult to injury, the residents just received their property tax bills," Wheeler said on the House floor, according to a video release. "Many saw an increase over 15 percent and as high as 26 percent. The timing was obviously an unfortunate coincidence with the natural disaster they’re dealing with, but it coincides completely with the unnatural, man-made disaster that is occurring right here, right now in Springfield.”

Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake)

Wheeler argued that it was outrageous for the General Assembly to impose a 32 percent increase in personal income taxes without putting any property tax reforms in place.

“The people of Northern Illinois have asked me to represent them, to protect their interests as home and business owners, but the majority of this body has made it near impossible,” Wheeler said. “…Let us do no further harm by taking no more money from our taxpayers unless and until we reform the basic structure and contours of state government, including and especially our property taxes. The people of (District 64) can no more endure any more devastations, be they natural or man made.”