Springfield, IL – State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) today responded to comments from Senate President Don Harmon and President Pro Tempore Bill Cunningham regarding the connection between property tax relief and legislation surrounding the proposed Chicago Bears stadium project, saying lawmakers are overcomplicating solutions that could cost taxpayers nothing.
“It was good to hear the Senate’s leadership acknowledge that property tax relief should be in the bill, but this is the same trap Springfield always falls into,” Ugaste said. “Every discussion about property tax relief turns into a conversation about how to ‘fund’ it. But not every reform requires a government funding source. Some solutions simply require political will.”
Ugaste pointed to two reforms that he says would provide meaningful long-term taxpayer protections without costing the state a single dollar.
“First, move all property tax referendums to the November ballot, where turnout is higher and transparency is greater,” Ugaste said. “Taxpayers deserve to make these decisions during elections when more people are paying attention and not during low-turnout elections where major tax increases can quietly slip through.”
Ugaste also renewed his call to end so-called “back-door referendums,” where taxing bodies continue issuing new debt after old referendum bonds are paid off without returning to voters for approval.
“When voters approve a bond referendum, they believe that debt will eventually end,” Ugaste said. “Instead, many taxing bodies simply roll the debt into new borrowing, and taxpayers never see relief. Once referendum bonds are paid off, governments should be required to go back to voters before issuing new debt. That gives taxpayers a voice and finally puts a brake on ever-growing property taxes.”
Ugaste said the Chicago Bears stadium discussion has exposed a reality that homeowners and businesses across Illinois already understand.
“The Bears want only to pay reasonable property taxes, so does every homeowner and business owner in Illinois,” Ugaste said. “This is a historic opportunity to enact reforms that protect all taxpayers, and some reforms don’t require one dollar in new spending.”
Rep. Dan Ugaste serves Illinois House District 65, which includes parts of Kane and DuPage counties. For more information, contact Rep. Ugaste’s office at 630-797-5530 or visit his website at repugaste.com.