Group seeks clarity on local IL governments using tax dollars for polling

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A taxpayer advocacy group warns local governments could be using tax dollars to promote tax increase proposals.

Americans For Prosperity Illinois Deputy Director Brian Costin says at a taxpayer cost of $80,000, Township High School District 214 in Arlington Heights conducted political-style polling designed to test messaging and measure voter sentiment ahead of a potential property tax increase referendum. Costin warned similar things could be happening elsewhere.

“In some of these cases before, there’s not a lot of avenue for citizens to do anything about it,” Costin told The Center Square. “It’s supposedly illegal. Sometimes they cross the line, sometimes they don’t.”

Costin wants Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to issue an opinion about the matter.

“We think that taxpayers need a little bit of defending in the state of Illinois, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said.

Asked about the issue by The Center Square last week, Raoul said he was “not informed on that.”

“The majority of criminal cases in the state of Illinois, in the structure of our criminal justice system, are prosecuted by local prosecutors,” Raoul said.

Costin said he is looking for the AG to provide clarity.

“We need someone to step in and make sure that taxpayers are being protected and local governments aren’t engaging in prohibited political activity that tip the scales in favor of tax hikes on the people of Illinois, who are the most taxed people in the entire country,” Costin said.