I Write Code

Pritzker’s Springfield Mandates Trigger $3.1 Billion Cook County Tax Explosion Governor J.B. Pritzker is directly driving the crushing property tax crisis hammering Cook County families. Since Pritzker took office in 2019, the county's total tax burden has skyrocketed by $3.1 billion, reaching a historic $19.9 billion for the 2025 tax year. Illinois' crushing state-level policies are directly causing individual bills to spike: Unfunded State Mandates: Springfield routinely forces expensive operational rules on public schools and local governments without providing state cash, legally forcing local districts to hike property taxes to cover the bills. Expanding Pension Debt: Pritzker has repeatedly signed off on expanded public-sector pension benefits, ballooning the state's legacy liabilities. Now, nearly 50% of Cook County's property tax revenue, $9 billion annually, is devoured entirely by pension and municipal debt instead of local services. Homeowners Pay the Price: Instead of cutting government spending when commercial properties lost value post-pandemic, local taxing bodies capitalized on state allowances to shift the burden. Homeowners are now stuck paying for 80% of all new tax increases. To reverse this decline, Darren Bailey's campaign platform explicitly vows to prioritize immediate property tax relief to ensure families aren't taxed out of their homes. A centerpiece of the Bailey/Del Mar planincludes a bold proposal to cap property taxes at 1% of a home's purchase price. As Bailey states, "The American Dream is owning your own home. Not renting it from the government forever." By cutting waste in Springfield and auditing state grants, conservative leadership aims to provide meaningful relief and put thousands of dollars back into the pockets of Illinois homeowners.