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* Tribune…
The average [Chicago] family will pay nearly $1,700 more a year to the city and Chicago Public Schools than they did before the mayor took office in 2011 once all of Emanuel’s tax and fee increases take full effect. There’s been a series of property tax hikes. There was a water and sewer rate increase, plus a new tax on top of that. Not to mention a new garbage hauling fee, 911 phone tax hike, vehicle sticker fee increase and a tax on cable television.
Even with all of that, taxpayers may be asked for more money in the coming years. Emanuel’s plans for shoring up long-neglected city worker pension funds will require the city to come up with hundreds of millions of dollars more by the early to mid-2020s.
The full breakdown of the additional taxes and fees is at the link.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 7:35 am
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Republican being a part of the Democratic machine…get him out.
Comment by anon Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 8:29 am
The hits are going to keep on coming for a while. They kept feeding the beast, but didn’t do any incremental hunting and farming. Folks in the city are noticing more and more. That’s a lot of increase in a short time.
Comment by A guy Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 8:50 am
While that undoubtedly is a big hit, let’s not forget that Cook County residential property owners’ property taxes are heavily subsidized by commercial properties — unlike anywhere else in the state.
Comment by Just Observing Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:01 am
I say this as someone not crazy about Rahm, I’ll take action at city hall over the inaction in Springfield any day. We can’t wish away these obligations.
Comment by ChicagoVinny Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:08 am
There were bound to be consequences to 22 years of Daley’s kick-the-can fiscal mismanagement and lapdog city council acquiescence.
The dude won six elections. He was the Indispensable Man, by the unanimous declaration of the downtown money boys and the media.
Everybody had a good time at the party. Now the bill is due.
The story itself is a little breathless. The baseline is 2010. And the range of property values and housing situations is such that the term “average” is somewhat meaningless.
So, yes, you don’t get unlimited water at a low flat rate anymore. I guess you’ll have to cry yourself a river about Chicago’s still-low property tax rates. Compare them to communities in the rest of the state.
Call it the Daley Hangover, aided and enabled by the Chicago power elite.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:19 am
===The dude won six elections===
Agreeing and adding. During that tenure, he had an unprecedented number of Aldermanic appointments all but assuring he’d get his way…every time.
Comment by A guy Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:31 am
Chicago is still a relative bargain.
Comment by Ron Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:45 am
The parking meter deal was the real killer. Daley didn’t have the guts to raise the rates to what Morgan Stanley eventually raised them to anyway. Then he burned through that money instead of amortizing it over the life of the deal. One less revenue stream that Rahm has to work with.
Comment by City Zen Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:46 am
I am not a fan of Emmanuel’s but this isn’t his fault.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 9:57 am
>The hits are going to keep on coming for a while. They kept feeding the beast, but didn’t do any incremental hunting and farming. Folks in the city are noticing more and more. That’s a lot of increase in a short time.
And we as a state aren’t learning from the example. Every single day Illinois runs up the bill for future tax increases higher and higher. We let ourselves get distracted from the fiscal crisis by the political games.
Comment by Earnest Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:12 am
This is what kills school funding reform. Chicago can’t contribute what everyone else does (prop taxes) because the residents have already been hit so many times with so many other tax hikes, fees, etc.
The suburbs have clout and can’t let Chicago take more of their money when the burbs are contributing so much more already.
A property tax increase in Dupage is a whole different animal than one in Chicago.
Comment by m Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:24 am
Chicago homeowners have been paying much lower property taxes than their suburban counterparts for decades. It’s about time that disparity lessened a tad.
Comment by anon Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:33 am
“the term “average” is somewhat meaningless”
It’s quite meaningless. The “average” Chicagoan is a renter.
“This is what kills school funding reform. Chicago can’t contribute what everyone else does”
Chicagoans pay for their teachers’ pensions, and no one else in the state does. Everywhere in the state, the fundamental budgeting problem is the result of the systematic underfunding of employee pensions over a period of decades.
Comment by Chris Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 10:56 am
== It’s about time that disparity lessened a tad.===
Not disagreeing with you, but $1700 in one year and continuing to climb is not…a tad. This is shock therapy, and it ain’t ending soon.
Comment by A guy Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 11:23 am
Guy, read the first sentence. It’s not in one year, the baseline is prior to Emanuel taking office office and they’re not all in effect yet.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 12:01 pm
===There’s been a series of property tax hikes.===
While the tax rate in Chicago has increased over the last few year it is still the lowest property tax rate in all of Cook County. (This excludes tax rate increases set to take effect in the future.) Chicago needs yet more property tax rate increases to fund it pension obligations.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:14 pm
==Guy, read the first sentence===
I did. This year it approaches $1700 on average. They have escalated, but this is the year that I believe sees the biggest increase based on the reading I’ve done; a lot of it right here on CF.
You’re difficult even in agreement. Wowser.
Comment by A guy Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:20 pm
–Not disagreeing with you, but $1700 in one year and continuing to climb is not…a tad.–
It’s not $1,700 in one year. Again, read the first sentence.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 1:42 pm
“the lowest property tax rate in all of Cook County”
This is largely (but not entirely) because Chicago has so much commercial and industrial property.
Comment by Chris Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 4:39 pm
==Chicagoans pay for their teachers’ pensions, and no one else in the state does.==
But CPS got overly generous block grants in exchange. Chicagoans came out way ahead in that deal.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Nov 21, 16 @ 4:45 pm