Illinois considers hiking tolls and taxing rideshares to cover transit shortfall
Springfield lawmakers are close to hiking road tolls, taxing rideshare services as well as real estate sales for everyone in Cook and the collar counties.
Springfield politicians are trying to reach deeper into taxpayers’ pockets who already shoulder some of the heaviest tax burdens in the nation. Now lawmakers want to pile on even more in Cook and the collar counties:
- 50-cent toll road hike (capped at $1 per vehicle per day)
- 10% tax on ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft
- Real estate transfer tax on property sales
- Electric vehicle charging fee.
The real question isn’t where to find more money, its how can lawmakers prevent another massive shortfall in the future putting them in the same situation.
The proposed legislation would create a new governance structure with board members appointed by municipal leaders from counties serviced by the agency.
This 20-member board would include five members appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, five members appointed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, five members appointed by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and five members appointed by the county board chairs representing each of the collar counties.
But these modest changes pale in comparison to the new tax burden being imposed on working families and suburban commuters who rarely use Chicago transit.
Springfield should find the courage to demand accountability from transit agencies before asking taxpayers to open their wallets once again.