Property Taxes to Be Going Up In Chicago After April Election

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

A post-election property tax increase is inevitable to solve Chicago’s $20 billion pension crisis, one of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s most powerful City Council allies warned Monday, arguing that anybody who claims otherwise is living in a dream world.

Nine aldermen allied with Emanuel joined his campaign co-chair, City Clerk Susana Mendoza, at a City Hall news conference to put the heat on mayoral challenger Jesus “Chuy Garcia” for making $1.9 billion in promises that, they claim, would force the owner of a $250,000 home to pay $1,900 more in annual property taxes.

But Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee, inadvertently put the spotlight on Emanuel when she acknowledged under questioning that Chicagoans need to brace for a property tax increase in any event — even if Emanuel wins the April 7 runoff.

“I believe we can truly say that it will happen, but [the only question is] how much?” Austin said of a post-election property tax hike.

The great moments of Blue America.