Property tax relief still in play

SPRINGFIELD -- Lawmakers promised Wednesday that Cook County homeowners would keep a property tax break despite lingering political disputes over exactly how big those breaks should be and how long they should last.

"We cannot leave Springfield without providing property tax relief," state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, said in leading the push to override the governor's veto and his suggested changes to the plan.

At issue are competing versions of plans that limit how much property assessments can increase annually and how long those limits should remain in place. Lawmakers initially approved a deal that capped the increases at 7 percent a year with a maximum homeowner's exemption of $20,000.

But that is set to expire. In response, lawmakers earlier this year approved a new version that raises the exemption to $40,000 the first year, then lowers it to $26,000 the second year and $20,000 the third year, before going back to the traditional $6,000 exemption.

But Gov. Rod Blagojevich tossed that version aside with a veto and told lawmakers he'd approve only a deal that would make the exemption $40,000 and permanent.

The state House reasserted the initial provisions Wednesday with a 92-19 vote, after which the governor issued a statement criticizing the move.

"I'm disappointed that today the Illinois House chose to take property tax relief away from homeowners in Cook County," Blagojevich said.

Regardless, all eyes now turn to the Senate, which has a history of backing Blagojevich. If senators don't go along with the House, or if the House doesn't reconsider the governor's version, then nothing will be approved for property owners in Cook County.

On Wednesday, state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat leading talks on the issue, said suburban homeowners would not fall victim to Capitol gridlock.

"There will be something done next week," Link said, "because there has to be some kind of tax relief."