Tony M.: I have to decide if I want to stay here or walk away.

Tony M. owns a 1,096 square foot Belleville home that is currently assessed at $61,755.

Tony took possession of the home in 2006 when it was worth around $65,000, or $81,391 in today’s dollars. He has paid $6,223 in property taxes since 2013, more than 9.5 percent of the original value of his home.

“I’ve had to budget a lot more,” Tony said. “I have to decide if I want to stay here or walk away. I haven’t made my mind up yet, but [moving] is definitely an option.”

Tony is currently paying $1,333 per year in property taxes on his home, about 2.1 percent of the St. Clair County Assessor claimed value of $61,755.

Tony is currently paying $1,333 per year in property taxes on his home, about 2.1 percent of the St. Clair County Assessor claimed value of $61,755.

“Taxes have been spent frivolously,” Tony said. “I think politicians are using our taxes to clean up the messes created by politicians years ago. Instead of fixing the [political] offices they just push it off onto us.”

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.

“You have to build it into your budget if you need something, but the government doesn’t do that,” Tony said. “We need a fair tax comparable to the rest of the country.”

If Tony lived in Indiana the most he could be charged in property taxes would be $617 per year or $716 less than what he currently pays in Illinois.

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