McHenry Times

Dan Ugaste thinks overtaxing in Illinois has become such a widespread problem it doesn’t matter what economic class you fall into.

“Taxes are escalating on poor people and people of good income,” he told the Kane County Reporter. “We have to find ways to provide relief.”

Ugaste, who recently launched his 2018 campaign to replace retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th District, said he was dismayed but not surprised to see a new Illinois Policy Institute report conclude that rising property taxes are far outpacing population growth, inflation and the economy in Illinois.

Dan Ugaste

Overall, property taxes are now the largest tax in Illinois, with government collecting as much as $27 billion in revenue as recently as 2013.

Over the last half-century, Illinois property taxes have also grown 2.5 times faster than inflation and 14 times faster than the state’s population, all while property taxes across the state have grown 3.3 times faster than median household incomes since 1990.

At an average of 2.32 percent, Illinois has the second-highest effective property tax rate in the country, trailing only New Jersey.

“There are too many districts that are allowed to send out tax bills while providing little service and can be rolled into other districts,” Ugaste said. “We can stop all the overtaxing by limiting all these unfunded mandates.”

Ugaste said that as he’s crisscrossed the community campaigning, he’s learned that people and businesses are considering leaving because of out-of-control property taxes. 

“People tell me relocating for them can mean thousands more in their pockets, and business owners say the savings can be in the hundreds of thousands,” he said.

Still, Ugaste said he assures anyone thinking of leaving that they’ll be better staying at home.

“I tell them what I stand for and that the reason I became a candidate is to make things better and to get Illinois back to the place where it should to be," he said.