Andrew Chesney is as starkly opposed to the concept of a statewide property tax as a way of paying down Illinois’ spiraling pension liability as he is dumbfounded by the idea that anyone would stand behind it.
“I am opposed to a statewide property tax and I am amazed that anyone would even suggest such a thing,” Chesney told the NW Illinois News. “This new tax scheme is being floated along with the perennial talk of taxing retirement income of which I am also opposed.”
Some lawmakers have advanced that idea and Wirepoints has reported others in the financial sector have more specifically proposed levying a special state property assessment estimated to be approximately 1 percent of actual property value each year for 30 years.
Andrew Chesney
“Property taxes in Illinois in general are already way too high,” Chesney, running as a Republican in the 89th House District, said. “Higher property taxes tend to depress property values and a statewide property tax would be one more additional burden.”
Currently, property taxes across Illinois stand at an average of 2.67 percent, the highest levels in the nation. In a working-class community in south Cook County, the average is nearly double that at more than 5 percent.
Chesney said it’s neglect on the part of lawmakers in Springfield, and an unwillingness to stand up and make tough decisions that has the state in such dire straits to begin with.
“These are the same politicians who have kicked the can down the road repeatedly over the years and not only the initial problem but a compounded problem,” he said. “We need people in Springfield who can make the tough decisions.”
Chesney added among the first orders of business should be the goal of imposing budget cuts wherever possible and enacting across-the-board reforms.
“Abuse of the Medicaid system is one of the larger areas of the budget that needs to looked at and addressed with serious reforms,” he said. “We need to streamline government operations and pay down the current backlog of bills that are costing us interest and ultimately harming our ability to borrow through a poor bond rating. Ultimately taxes and regulations need to be cut and we need to enact pro-business reforms in order to create a business climate that will attract jobs and keep the jobs we already have.”
Anything short of that, and Cheney said the state can expect to suffer through more of the same hard times.
“Businesses and people are leaving Illinois to find better jobs and housing in other states including those just over the Illinois border,” he said. “We cannot continue on the current path and we need to have the leadership and intestinal fortitude to make major changes in Springfield.”
The 89th House District includes parts or all of Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Carroll, Ogle and Whiteside counties.
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