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LM Month 2019
TheDebateonPropertyTaxes IsHeatingUp
IASAWants toHelpYouWin theArgument
Like it or not, school districts will be at the center of what’s
sure to be an intense debate about property taxes being
too high in Illinois.
If superintendents sit on the sidelines of this debate, a
school district’s ability to reach, or continue to provide, what
research shows is appropriate to provide a high-quality,
evidence-based education to our children could suffer.
By December 31, 2019, the Property Tax Relief Task Force
will issue its report detailing recommendations for short-
term and long-term property tax relief, and the General
Assembly and lawmakers will take up the issue when they
convene in the spring.
What if there was a mechanism to identify what property
taxes should be for every school district, determined what
the state should do to provide an appropriate amount of
By Jason Nevel
IASA Director of Social Media and Publications
revenue and, finally, allowed school districts to determine
locally if they were willing to pay more or less than the state
determined appropriate?
There is. The Evidence-Based Funding Formula.
As the debate about property taxes heats up, EBF could be
the most powerful tool superintendents have in educating
their local legislators on the ramifications of a major property
tax relief plan.
That’s why superintendents need to be prepared. The stakes
are simply too high—no matter what part of the state your
district resides or in what tier you are currently funded—
to ignore.
What IASA hopes to do over the next few months is share
with superintendents the data-driven tools they need to help
win the argument.
In November, voters will have the chance to change the 1970 state
constitution by authorizing a graduated-rate tax based on the size of
income and repealing the currently mandated flat-rate income tax.
The graduated income tax was a hallmark of Gov. Pritzker’s
campaign, and he will undoubtedly pull out all stops to get it passed.
As a way to increase voter turnout in November, IASA anticipates
the promise of property tax relief to be packaged with the graduated
income tax.
You may recall, the Senate passed a property tax freeze
in May, but the General Assembly eventually settled on
forming a Property Tax Relief Task Force to study the
issue further instead.
The task force will issue a report by December 31
detailing recommendations for short-term and long-term
property tax relief. Then, the General Assembly and
lawmakers will discuss the recommendations when they
convene in the spring.
Why is thedebateabout property taxesheatingup?