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It’s a regular Western showdown, at the Capitol, as Republicans and Democrats square off about Governor Rauner’s Property Tax Freeze.

Illinois’ state lawmakers reached a standstill after spending a recent Tuesday afternoon debating the finer points of Governor Rauner’s intended property tax freeze.

Governor Rauner, whose property tax freeze was created with the suburbs in mind, called the deliberations a “waste of time”, with the Democrats unable to produce an offer acceptable to Rauner’s mission.

This standstill threatens to freeze the local government, with the state being unable to access the local budget, which will begin on July 1, until an acceptable offer is reached.

The Democrats approved a budget that was still $3 billion more than the state currently has. Rauner has stated that he would debate filling the budget deficit with tax hikes, if Democrats were willing to discuss his proposed property tax freeze.

Rauner believes that local taxes are the problem, as he told the Daily Herald recently. Rauner feels that controlling property tax, and empowering local voters to do the same is one of the most important issues for the state of Illinois.

Despite the fact that Rauner’s plan is intended for the suburbs, suburban lawmakers are still balking at the intended freeze, saying it would hamstring their budgets. South Streator’s Superintendent Of Schools Ryan McGuckin spoke out against the effect the property tax freeze would have on the township’s budget. He claims the property freeze will be ineffectual. He also criticizes that it doesn’t allow for inflation. The fear is that with the cost of building maintenance and the pressure to provide new textbooks, the property tax freeze would be just another restriction.

Elgin Area School District U-46 CEO Tony Sanders stated that a property tax freeze would be devastating to his district’s budget. The inability to predict next year’s budget is making it next to impossible to plan for the next school year.

If the property tax freeze were to be passed now, according to Sanders, it’s too late to tell teachers and superintendents they don’t have the money to pay them next year.

Grayslake Fire Chief John Christian and Executive Director of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus David Bennett also spoke out at the Tuesday hearings, saying their sector of local government would also be adversely affected by the proposed tax freeze.

Not all Democrats are opposed to Governor Rauner’s property tax freeze. State Representative Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat, tried to pass a property tax freeze in the State House. Franks’ proposition allowed for local lawmakers to break through the tax freeze, if they felt they weren’t getting enough money. Franks’ proposal was also rejected.

“Don’t hide from the monster. It’s not going to go away,” Franks said to Republicans, urging them to vote for it.

House Leader Jim Durkin feels that property tax freezes aren’t the problem. The real problem is the budget that was passed last month, according to Durkin.

Lawmakers will be returning to the debate shortly. On July 1, the state will run out of authority to access its budget until this issue is resolved. Rauner has proposed a few stopgap measures, including potentially closing two youth prisons, possibly including those in St. Charles and Warrenville.

Also in line with his state tax reform policy, Rauner has proposed several revisions to help businesses, but most of those have already been shot down by Democrats.

Despite all the in-fighting, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan said that tax reforms would have to be mutual to be effective. Democrats will not be able to pass the necessary changes themselves. The only way for it to work is if the Democrats, Republicans, and the Governor cooperate.

In politics and finances, there are no easy answers. It should be interesting to see what happens when the Lawmakers return to deliberation!

To learn more about Illinois property tax law, contact a Chicago property tax attorney today!

Not only is summer a time for vacation, travel, cookouts, camping, and countless other activities, it also happens to be the busiest seasons for the real estate market. If you happen to be buying or selling a house or condo, you don’t want to let the stress disturb your other summer plans. You need to know how to avoid summertime real estate market stress.

Stay Cool: Some Summertime Stress-Relieving Tips

Stay Organized

Like anything in life, the less organized you are, the more stressful that activity becomes. If you’re going to be meeting with realtors, showing your home, visiting out of state, or any of the countless other activities surrounding moving, remember to use a calendar! Also schedule automated reminders and alerts for major deadlines. Find your deed, property records, income history, and all of the other minutiae you’ll need to have a stress-free move, and keep them all in a safe place.

Set Deadlines

Many people find deadlines to be motivating. If you’re moving because you want to, rather than because you have to, setting deadlines will help keep your eyes on the prize. They will also keep you motivated enough to complete the millions of tasks necessary to have a stress-free move. Be realistic with your deadlines, however, as being too hard on yourself, or missing deadlines, can be very discouraging and thus negatively affecting your productivity and focus.

Use Productivity Tools

We are living in the modern age, after all. A savvy homeowner will use every tool at their disposal, technological or otherwise. There are hundreds of house hunting and productivity apps, instant response systems, and time management tools. Use them. They can save you countless hours and potentially thousands of dollars. Try a few out and see what works for you and what doesn’t. It’s only helpful if it saves you time and stress. Don’t let learning new technology become just another item on your ‘To Do’ list.

Don’t Be Afraid To Stand Up For Yourself

If you’re moving, you’re going to both see a ton of houses or properties. You’ll be meeting with countless realtors, as well as having hordes of people coming to see your home, probably at the same time. You’re going to be fielding a lot of offers, both incoming and outgoing. While it is a natural tendency to want to please people, remember to look out for yourself as well. You can’t take every offer that comes your way. One useful tip would be to construct a “dream offer” – the ideal home in the perfect neighborhood at the exact price you’re comfortable paying. Having a clear vision will let you know what to shoot for. Don’t be afraid to say no, if the offer doesn’t suit your vision.

Stay Positive

Remember, summertime is a busy season for the real estate market. People are also tremendously busy with other parts of their lives as well. Chances are you’ll likely hear a lot of rejections, or get a lot of dead leads, or it might simply seem that absolutely everything is taken or twice the price it should be. A positive attitude will help you surmount these obstacles, and keep that hope for the dream offer alive. A positive attitude also translates to both potential buyers and sellers, giving realtors a better feeling about giving you the deal.

Ask For Help

Looking for a home involves an endless array of micro-tasks, spread out over the span of months. It takes patience, perseverance, a good attitude, proper organization, and a dash of luck. To make sure you can keep up with the marathon, involve other people in the house hunt. If you’re moving with others, break down the duties into tasks that best suit each individual. If someone’s better with the correspondence, let them handle the e-mails. Got a great phone voice? Maybe you should handle the phone calls.

Practicing these will surely teach you how to avoid summer real estate market stress. Stay cool, while things are getting hot!