Council Committee Has Change of Heart After Reminder of Accountability
$200: Amount of grants to be given to homeowners hardest hit by the Springfield's phase out of the seven percent cap on property tax assessments. Total cost: $35 million.
A reminder of accountability was enough to prompt a change of heart by a City Council committee who had earlier criticized the mayor's $35 million property tax relief program.
The city council Finance Committee approved the proposal, which will now be added to the mayor's 2010 budget.
Earlier this week, members of the council's Finance Committee questioned whether Mayor Richard Daley's plan -- which would give tax breaks averaging about $150 to a household with an incoming approaching $200,000 -- was money well-spent.
"Providing relief to people who aren’t really needy doesn’t make good sense to me," Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) said.
In return, Daley challenged aldermen to create a better plan, and reminded them that they would be held accountable.
"They're going to go to the alderman, knock on the door and say 'OK, you help me. Here's my real estate tax bill. You have the answer? Fine. The mayor had has his answer, you have a better answer,'" Daley said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The City Council will consider the mayor's budget next Wednesday.
Posted Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009 - 1:46 PM CST
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