This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Rep. Ron Sandack Unveils Taxpayer Protection Bills

State Representative Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove), along with State Representatives Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst) and Sandy Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn) and DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin unveiled two taxpayer protection bills on Monday that would prevent taxing districts from raising taxes when home values are declining.

Sandack, Chief Sponsor of House Bills 4426 and 4429, said the legislation addresses an unforeseen issue with the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. “When PTELL was created, it protected property owners from huge tax increases during the era when home values were increasing very quickly,” said Sandack. “I believe the authors of the PTELL bill never imagined a scenario where that bill would actually hurt taxpayers. This legislation takes steps to freeze taxes when property values fall and helps people from getting taxed out of their homes during difficult economic times.”

HB4426 and HB4429 would eliminate a public body’s ability to increase its levy when the total value of all taxable property in the district is lower than the value during the previous levy year. HB4426 includes an additional provision during periods of recovery by providing that three-year averages for values be used in the comparison.

Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Reboletti said these measures are intended to protect homeowners who have experienced years of steadily increasing property tax bills even though the value of their homes is in a free-fall. “At a time when home values are worth less, taxpayers pay more. Residents have had enough and we want to put an end to those unfair practices. This legislation would offer much needed relief and stability to hard-pressed property owners who are coping with the continually fluctuating housing market,” said Reboletti.

Pihos said the proposals respond to local conditions in especially hard-hit suburban areas. “I frequently hear from families in my community who are worn out from seeing their property taxes go up while their home values plummet,” said Pihos. “This legislation is a common sense approach to relieving the squeeze of mounting property taxes that have the potential to drive many households over the edge.”

Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Cronin, who was a sponsor of the original PTELL bill when he was an Illinois Senator, complimented the legislation and said it would provide much-needed relief for taxpayers. “It is unfair to ask homeowners to pay more in property taxes when the value of their homes is declining,” Cronin said. “Many wage earners have seen 0% increases in their paychecks. So why should government expect automatic increases? Until the economy rebounds, Representative Sandack’s legislation represents a common sense approach toward holding the line on local taxes.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?