SE Illinois News

Darren Bailey doesn’t think Illinois can truly be itself again until lawmakers find the courage needed to address the state’s crippling property tax issues.

“I’m aware of people in Indiana and Missouri right now who want to come back to Illinois for family or whatever reason, and they can’t afford to because of the property taxes,” Bailey told the SE Illinois News. “We’ve got people not being here and that are leaving the state for the same reason. This is one of our single biggest problems. We’ve got to find a way to get that under control to have any chance of rebuilding Illinois.”

That desperation is reflected in a new study recently released by property data experts ATTOM Data Solutions that found 387,854 property owners across the state now owe mortgages with at least 25 percent more on their loans than their property is worth.

Cynthia Given

“These high taxes are driving up prices across the board,” said Bailey, running against Democrat Cynthia Given of Olney in the 109th House District. “As a state, we’re just going to have to restructure the way we do some things and do without some others in order to get this under control.”

Among Illinois counties, Boone, Montgomery and Bond had the highest percentage of property owners saddled with mortgages of at least 25 percent more than their property is worth, with 2 in 5 Boone-area property owners impacted, and an average of 38 percent of those in Montgomery and Bond.

Once he’s in Springfield, Bailey said he plans to be part of any coalition that makes one of its priority lowering taxes, adding that he’s recently been encouraged to see several GOP legislators step forward and propose overhauls to the system.

“Maybe it’s because they see new people like myself with backbone who they can trust,” he said. “Tax relief is a big part of the equation along with cutting spending. When we get spending under control that will allow us to lower taxes and bring people back home. After that, comes attracting more businesses and better-paying jobs.”

As for his opponent, Bailey said he doesn’t see her proposing much to make a difference.

“The problem is that the establishment keeps at it with the same old system,” he said. “There’s no relief in this budget they just passed. It’s the highest spending ever, with more high taxes. That simply won’t get the job done.”