One of Governor Bruce Rauner's Turnaround Agenda items involves a property tax freeze, but there are still questions about how it would work, and who it would affect.
Jackson County Chief Assessment Officer Maureen Berkowitz will explain what that means during a special meeting in Carbondale. Berkowitz says the public needs to understand this is actually a proposed freeze on the property tax levee.
"Meaning the taxing bodies who receive these local dollars could not request any more than they requested the prior year. It does not mean property tax bills will be frozen. The new laws have already shifted the burden."
She says veterans with 70% or more service-connected disability will have their property removed from the tax rolls. Meanwhile, farmers will pay slightly more in taxes because of a change in how farmland values are assessed.
But, Berkowitz says these changes will impact all property tax bills across the state.
"So, even if people are not in either of those two categories, it will affect their bill as the tax burden shifts. The taxing bodies still need to collect the same amount of money to operate."
Berkowitz will explain what the complicated changes are and answer questions during a special presentation Tuesday night at 7:00pm at the Carbondale Civic Center.
