Lake County Gazette

Republican Senate candidate Chris Kasperski argues Illinois’ long-held standing as the state with the second-highest property taxes in the country is just another example of how much Springfield has lost its way.

“Illinois has far too many units of government and administrative costs that are associated with all of them,” Kasperski, set to face longtime incumbent state Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) in the 31st District, told the Lake County Gazette. "The governor should demand that the Property Tax Relief Task Force go back to the drawing board and emerge with actionable legislative proposals, rather than rely on the passage of more of the governor's proposed tax increases.”

Illinois’ standing in the recent WalletHub.com survey marks the third straight year the state has trailed only New Jersey for highest property taxes, with researchers pointing out that taxes on a home valued at $205,000 in the state are nearly three times higher ($4,700) than they are for the same priced home in nearby Kentucky or Indiana ($1,760).

“Our tax base is fleeing these punishing taxes at truly historic levels and the burden for those that remain only increases,” Kasperski added. “Illinois government needs to get its priorities in order and work to make the state attractive for people and businesses to stay and invest here. More government and higher taxes is not the way to alter our current problems.”

Despite all the dysfunction, Kasperski argues he doesn’t think lawmakers in Springfield are taking the problem as seriously as they need to be, including Bush, who was part of the 88-member tax force Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently convened to study the issue.

“My opponent, along with my Representative, Joyce Mason, both failed to show up to the first Property Tax Relief Task Force meeting, thus failing to be assigned to any of the subcommittees,” he said. “They both are on record for showing up to the second Property Tax Relief Task Force meeting; however, there is nothing in the minutes that demonstrates that they provided anything substantive. They then failed to show up to the third and final Property Tax Relief Task Force meeting, as the task force also was unable to produce a report on time, with no official report released to the public.”

Kasperski argues all of it comes with a heavy cost.

“The consequence of careening down this fiscal cliff is apparent with all the for sale signs that are popping up in front yards and storefronts,” he said. “If the government continues to punish its people for the wrong decisions and false-promises that they have made, then the exodus of taxpayers will sustain as the state will have to keep cutting essential services to pay for past mistakes.”