DECATUR, Ill. – Governor JB Pritzker was in central Illinois Wednesday, giving his proposal to provide a one-time up to $300 property tax rebate to Illinoisans a push
But in doing so, Pritzker also sent a message to local taxing bodies.
“Take a hard look at reducing property taxes that they impose on their communities. It is, in fact, imposed at a local level,” said Pritzker. “Many municipalities and schools and other taxing bodies impose property taxes and increase them because of increasing needs.”
Pritzker, at Decatur City Hall, said he thinks some of the burden on school districts paying for their needs with property tax dollars, can be reduced by the state paying its fair share — something he claims hasn’t been done in years. Case in point: schools.
“In the average state in the United States, about half of the money — well, it’s about 46 percent — of the money for schools comes from the state. In Illinois, only 24 percent comes from the state,” said Pritzker.
Pritzker — since he says the state will end this fiscal year with a surplus, and claims his proposed budget for next year is balanced — says he will begin to right that ship.
Speaking of schools, Pritzker says his continued legal fight over school mask mandates isn’t about keeping the mandates in effect now.
“This really is about, what do we do in the next emergency?” said Pritzker. “As much as anything, what happens when there’s another Omicron wave, or — God forbid — at some future date, another pandemic?”
The Governor says he believes an Illinois appellate court simply punted on the issues, which is why he’s trying to push an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
Besides, he says, the state’s indoor mask mandate will be lifted as of Monday, and down the line, the school mask mandate will be lifted, too.
