Dealing with the increasing cost of living and escalating property taxes tops the list of priorities for many members of the Illinois General Assembly and candidates who hope to win a seat in Springfield.
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State Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, and Tina Marie Durant of Beach Park, Mason’s Republican challenger in the Nov. 3 general election to represent the 61st State House District, are offering different ways to achieve those goals.
Durant said she will take a close look at the waste in government spending she sees around her, cut it, and use the savings to reduce long-term obligations, which will lead to lower taxes on real estate.
“We have to cut government spending,” she said. “They keep adding and adding and adding, and we need much less. There are buildings we hardly use. We should use them and not build new ones.”
Mason said she joined the majority in voting for doubling the child tax credit for low- and moderate-income families, as well as freezing a scheduled increase in the gasoline tax starting July 1 for six months.
“We have to figure out more ways to help,” she said. “We have to help renters as well as homeowners because they are affected by property taxes too. People are just trying to survive right now.”
Voters in the 61st District in Lake County will decide if Mason or Durant will represent them when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 general election, either by mail, early, or on election day.
Reducing property taxes is not Durant’s only goal as a legislator. She said gasoline taxes, income taxes, the increase on the state’s toll roads coming next year, and more are all part of the problem she wants to fix.
“Taxes are way out of control,” she said. “No matter where you go, you’re seeing an increase in taxes. You see it on your utility bill and when you buy gas. People who pay off their house are losing their home because of the high property taxes.”
By reducing government spending, Durant said the government can retire bonds and eliminate debt. Though she realizes changing the pension system requires a constitutional amendment, she would like to see new government workers receive retirement savings plans instead.
“There is so much fraud everywhere,” she said. “We need transparency. We have to hold people accountable. I’m tired of spending and spending. I want people to be able to keep their money in their pockets.”
Taking a different approach to make life more affordable, Mason said a large portion of property taxes go to local school districts to fund education. The state needs to play a larger role, she said. Evidence-based funding was started nine years ago and helps needier school districts.
“We have to find more ways to help fund education,” Mason said. “Evidence-based funding is not getting it done. A less regressive income tax would go a long way to making property taxes smaller. We have to find a more equitable way.”
Seeking her fifth term in Springfield, Mason, 57, said she has found ways to help her constituents. She said when the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) was being debated in 2021, she saw an opportunity to help Zion recover from the closing of the Commonwealth Edison nuclear power plant.
“I was able to negotiate for Zion becoming part of CEJA,” Mason said. “Zion’s (governmental entities) will be getting $14 million a year for at least 20 years or until the federal government removes the (buried) waste. They’re not doing any of that now.”
When Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order creating the Illinois Department of Early Childhood three years ago, Mason said she was able to use her position as chair of the Early Childhood Education Committee to establish emergency training standards at childcare centers.
A retired pharmacist and pharmacy manager, Durant, 62, said she was recruited to run by the Illinois Policy Institute. As a pharmacist, caring for people was her life’s work. Now retired from the healthcare industry, she plans to continue helping individuals in public office.
“My whole career I helped in my community with their healthcare needs,” she said. “I’m an immunizer. During COVID, I went to nursing homes to vaccinate people. The elderly got their shots first. I helped them start living their lives again.”
Early voting is underway in 18 locations throughout the county. Some are open extended hours, including weekends. A complete list with times and locations is on the Lake County Clerk’s website.
The district includes all or part of Gurnee, Wadsworth, Old Mill Creek, Third Lake, Lindenhurst, Lake Villa, Beach Park, Grayslake, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion.
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