Shaundel Washington-Spivey

If youve ever opened your property tax bill and wondered why it keeps going up, the answer isnt wasteful local governments or runaway spending. The real culprit lies in state government, in a decision made nearly two decades ago by legislative leaders and signed by the governor. In 2006, the Legislature imposed strict revenue limits on municipalities, claiming the move would keep property taxes low. But they failed to increase state aid to cities and villages to offset those limits.