Manny T.: I’ve been looking at houses in other states.

Manny T. owns a 2,918 square foot, 4-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Gurnee home that is currently assessed at $332,262.

Manny took possession of the home in 2017 when it was worth around $270,000, or $277,739 in today’s dollars. He has paid $9,745 in property taxes since 2017, more than 3.6 percent of the original value of his home.

“I’ve been looking at houses in other states,” Manny said.

Manny is currently paying $9,745 per year in property taxes on his home, about 2.9 percent of the Lake County Assessor claimed value of $332,262.

Manny is currently paying $9,745 per year in property taxes on his home, about 2.9 percent of the Lake County Assessor claimed value of $332,262.

“I don’t really don’t want to have to [leave],” Manny said. “Our families are here. But, I’ve talked to my employer and they have branches elsewhere. I’d be willing to even if I don’t want to.”

Indiana has a hard 1 percent cap on property taxes. This means local governments are not allowed under state law to charge homeowner’s more than 1 percent of their home’s assessed value per year. The average property tax rate for the state of Indiana is 0.89 percent. Meanwhile, the average property tax rate in Illinois is 2.3 percent.

“I think the 1 percent cap on property taxes [would help] and pension reform because it’s only fair for the people getting the pensions and it’s not fair for everyone else,” Manny said.

If Manny lived in Indiana the most he could be charged in property taxes would be $3,322 per year or $6,423 less than what he currently pays in Illinois.

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