Taxes

The so-called Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed by the slimmest of margins in the U.S. House last week would make the 2017 federal tax cuts permanent. It also would make significant cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs.

Advocates of a 1% school sales tax in McLean County have formed a committee to encourage voters to approve the tax on election day. Retired school superintendent Barry Reilly chairs the Vote Yes for McLean County Schools committee.

When the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority Board meets on Dec. 17 to approve the annual property tax levy, the amount of money it wants to raise will apply to property tax rates in Bloomington-Normal alone, not the entirety of McLean County.

Normal City Manager Pam Reece said the town will keep a watchful eye on the spring legislative session in Springfield.

Unit 5's school board on Wednesday heard a proposal that would increase both the property tax levy and education fund tax rate for 2024. However, the overall tax rate would go down.

The Normal Town Council has authorized preparing a new tax levy increasing annual property taxes by a small amount.

An effort is underway in the Illinois legislature to protect water supplies from a new climate technology that still faces many questions about its safety.

The two candidates for the 17th Congressional District that includes parts of Bloomington-Normal, recently sat for half-hour interviews with WGLT. In the first of two stories, they talk about the budget, the deficit, and the broader economy.

Three ballot questions in the Mount Hope-Funks Grove Fire Protection District southwest of Bloomington-Normal are intended to help the district better respond to emergencies.

The advisory referendum is not binding. But if passed later, Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration estimates the tax could generate $4.5 billion annually.