Property tax freeze needed

I and the rest of Naperville received an eye-popping tax bill this year. While most of this increase can be attributed to District 203, the majority of the taxing bodies on our bill substantially increased their levies. So much for advancing affordable housing … a chant heard from political candidates with great frequency in recent local election cycles.

Our tax bills are already obscene when compared to virtually any other state. If we are going to further hammer these tax bills, we can just forget it. Absolutely no retirees will be able to stay here and the exodus of good folks out of our community will accelerate.

A multi-year freeze of our real estate tax levy should be strongly considered and called for. Whatever impact such a freeze would have on the service end will not be as harsh as the impact these ridiculous tax bills are having on our residents.

The city of Naperville should also be encouraged to sell or develop the 13 acres of extremely valuable real estate which it holds around 5th Avenue. All of this ripe and high-value land is going to waste. Worse, all of it is going untaxed while in city hands.

Every tax dollar generated from a 5th Avenue development would be one less tax dollar that needs to go on to the tax levy. A developed and vibrant 5th Avenue development alone might take a very healthy whack out of our tax bills. We should stop wasting this incredibly valuable asset.

Kevin Coyne

Naperville