LM Nov-Dec.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.

Why is thedebateabout property taxesheatingup?

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.

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.

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LM Month 2019