New Tax and Fee Hike Proposals in Illinois
Prices for services like DoorDash, Uber, and Ticketmaster, as well as toll roads in Illinois, may increase to cover a potential $1.5 billion in taxes for Illinois transit agencies.
A real estate transfer tax for homes in the Chicago suburbs is also being considered. The Regional Transit Authority (RTA), which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace, is facing a budget crisis as federal pandemic funds are depleted.
The RTA faces a $230 million fiscal gap next year, following a boost in spending from billions in emergency COVID funds. As
Downstate residents shouldn’t have to be punished for years of fiscal mismanagement by a transit system they don’t use, and
Illinoisans who do rely on public transit shouldn’t be nickeled and dimed when they already shoulder some of the highest combined tax burdens in the nation.
Author's summary: Illinoisans may face tax hikes on services and toll roads to cover transit agency shortfalls.