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WILL
COUNTY WEIGHS NEW 4- TO 8-CENT COUNTYWIDE GAS TAX ATOP DOUBLED ILLINOIS
TAX
Illinois Policy Institute/
Vincent Caruso
County leaders may exercise new taxing
authority from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital plan. Illinois already
doubled its portion of the gas tax, pushing the total burden to No. 3 in
nation.
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 Drivers filling up in Will County could soon lose a small
advantage over most of their collar county peers.
A proposal to enact a countywide gas tax between 4 cents and 8 cents per gallon
was presented Aug. 2 by Will County Director of Transportation Jeff Ronaldson to
the Will County Board Public Works and Transportation Committee, according to
the Herald-News. That would be atop the gas taxes Will County drivers already
pay at the state and municipal levels.
Ronaldson estimated a countywide gas tax could raise $12 million to $24 million,
according to the Herald-News. He said those revenues could far surpass what the
county gets from the state under the capital plan.
Currently, Will and Lake counties are the only collar counties that do not
impose their own county-level excise tax on gasoline. Both are now discussing
it, each with the ability to add 8 cents per gallon.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s $45 billion capital plan, which doubled the state’s gas tax
to 38 cents from 19 cents per gallon, brought Illinois’ gas tax burden to third
from 10th-highest in the nation. According to an Illinois Policy Institute
analysis, drivers will pay an extra $100 per year for the state gas tax hike.
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The capital plan also
expanded Chicago’s ability to increase its motor fuel tax by 3 cents
per gallon and each of the collar counties to levy a motor fuel tax
of up to 8 cents per gallon. DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties
currently charge drivers 4 cents per gallon, meaning their rates
could double – although they are not proposing hikes. Lake County
discussed a gas tax, with potential revenue projected at about $11
million to $22 million.
With nearly two-thirds of the state’s population residing in the
collar counties, further gas tax hikes by their county governments
could push Illinois’ national ranking higher than No. 3.
At least one county board member urged caution before introducing
another tax too quickly, according to the Herald-News. “How much are
we going to tax people?” asked Will County Board member Mike
Fricilone.
Fricilone recommended putting the question to voters on an advisory
referendum before moving forward with the proposal.
The Will County board scheduled a another meeting Aug. 8 to discuss
the gas tax, among other issues.
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