Why a special tax just for DuPage?

Why a special tax just for DuPage?

My thanks to the Daily Herald for covering the recent protest at the DuPage County Board meeting Aug. 27. This is something which needs some additional background.

The General Assembly passed HB1522 in the spring and it was signed by the governor. This sort of legislation has been tried to be passed for several years in Springfield and every time, until this year, has been strongly opposed. This legislation singles out two counties, Peoria and DuPage. The majority of the state representatives and state senators in DuPage opposed the bill. Only those outside were able to pass it. That in itself is bad enough, but add this into the mix: Peoria County requires a referendum be passed to implement; DuPage does not. The county board can approve and implement.

If passed, this law imposes fees on every structure, homes, businesses, schools (public and private) and not for profit organizations, including parking lots and driveways. All of which will come back as taxes or increased expense to residents.

It will continue to drive business out of DuPage, which is one of the highest taxed counties in the state and nation.

So if that isn’t bad enough, DuPage County and every municipality within it, will need to hire employees to implement, administer, monitor and provide technical assistance to residents and land owners. Net result, even more taxes.

This is awful legislation, likely unconstitutional, so if implemented, I am certain it will go to court. The Green Police are out there trying their best to implement their agenda. The question is who on the DuPage County Board has been secretly pushing this agenda in recent years? This didn’t emerge out of a vacuum.

Richard Francke

Bartlett