Proposal strikes balance, making business part of the solution while protecting working families
(Chicago) … The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)
urges state leaders to balance the needs of Illinois ’ working families and the
state’s business community through a “hybrid revenue plan”
to provide adequate, long-term support for all Illinois schools and much-needed property
tax relief for disinvested communities.
MPC released
its plan today, embargoed until the morning of Thursday, May 24, 2007.
The
MPC proposal would achieve the goals shared by plans being debated
in
Springfield, Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 750, both of
which would provide adequate funding for all
Illinois
schools and property tax relief.
Debate over these bills has stalled, with just two weeks until the Illinois
General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn, because legislators are struggling to
see the fairness in either bill’s funding stream.
Because the
cost of doing nothing is too great, MPC recommends legislators adopt its
compromise proposal, which more evenly and fairly distributes the tax burden
across all classes of taxpayers. The MPC plan would:
- provide $2 billion in FY 08 to bring all schools to
the recommended per-pupil funding minimum, plus $650 million for school
construction and maintenance;
- provide $1.2 billion in targeted property tax relief
to distressed communities;
- expand personal exemptions and child credits so that
working families won’t pay more;
- make business part of the solution, without overburdening employers to
fund state needs.
MPC’s revenue
plan complements the school quality and fiscal accountability plan released on
Monday by a
group of civic, business
and education leaders, including
A+ Illinois –
another sign that advocates are working together with legislators to close in on
a compromise.
MPC strongly supports the General Assembly
reaching
consensus on this budget in order to address other pressing needs,
including funding to support transit operating and capital needs in metropolitan
Chicago.
The Metropolitan Planning Council’s complete revenue plan is available on an embargoed basis on
the MPC Web site. For more information, contact MPC Communications
Associate Mandy Burrell , at 312-863-6018 (office), 773-640-1206 (cell), or mburrell@metroplanning.org.