A key piece of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to pay for pensions by raising property taxes in the city is advancing in the Illinois Statehouse. But there are some homes, those worth less than $250,000, he wants to exempt.
To do that Emanuel has to get approval from the governor and state lawmakers. One of the mayor’s top aides, Steve Koch, traveled to Springfield to sell the tax as progressive.
"Making sure that the burden is borne by those who can best afford it."
House Democrats passed the measure out of a committee. But Republicans lined up against it, a sign that Governor Bruce Rauner is also opposed.
That could mean Emanuel’s homeowners exemption plan could look like a lot of other things in Springfield these days, and be the subject of gridlock.