McHenry Times

Allen Skillicorn, a village trustee in East Dundee, is seeking the Republican nomination for state representative in the 66th District, and aims to continue to keep the property tax levy frozen and promote local economic growth.

As a trustee, Skillicorn helped East Dundee attract $14 million in private and public funding, and it was the first municipality to pass Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda, which addresses the poor business climate in Illinois by implementing property tax freezes, lawsuit reform and redistricting.

“We must change the way we govern to stop the crushing burden of higher property taxes,” Skillicorn recently told McHenry Times. “We are up against dysfunctional unfunded mandates and climbing employee costs. One of the biggest unfunded mandates that raises costs and drives jobs out of the collar counties is prevailing wage.”

A lifelong resident of the Fox River Valley, Skillicorn said that prevailing wages for Lake, McHenry, Kane and Kendall counties requires all municipal building projects to pay Chicago labor rates. It also applies to private construction projects in tax increment finanacing (TIF) districts.

Skillicorn’s opponents in the Republican primary for the 66th House seat are Paul Serwatka, Dan Wilbrandt and Carolyn Schofield. Both Wilbrandt and Schofield have previously supported prevailing wages, which Skillicorn considers to be a detriment to the district.

“Unfortunately, this unfunded mandate tripled labor costs on a recent redevelopment project in East Dundee, Skillicorn said. "Furthermore, this prevailing wage makes local contractors less competitive against Chicago contractors, driving jobs out of the collar counties.” 

The only path to restoring true economic opportunity in Illinois requires “peeling back the claws of control from (Illinois House) Speaker (Michael) Madigan and the Chicago political class,” Skillicorn said.

“Illinois heads toward its eighth month without a state budget as public colleges struggle to keep their doors open, the state’s largest social services provider imposes massive cutbacks and 125,000 college students go without financial aid that had been promised them before the current school year,” Skillicorn said. “The state is spending more than it’s bringing in, and it appears likely this could continue into the next budget year.”

Skillicorn told McHenry Times that career politicians have created an environment where families and businesses are struggling, and it isn’t getting any better. Raising taxes isn’t the solution Illinois needs.

“Speaker Madigan has amassed vast wealth profiting from Illinois’ convoluted property tax system," Skillicorn said. "For insiders like Madigan, the system works great. I’m running for the rest of us.”