Metro East Sun

Katherine Ruocco, the Republican candidate for the District 113 state House seat, lashed out at her opponent, state Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville), after his recent mailer said she voted to raise property taxes and sewer fees.

Relying on village of Swansea ordinances, which are public records, Ruocco shredded the claim that she "voted for tens of millions in new property taxes."

Ruocco said the three ordinances cited in the mailer -- from 2013, 2014 and 2015 -- were the annual property-tax levies. These taxes were used to run the village and pay for necessary services, such as public safety, police and fire equipment, and pensions and to support underfunded schools.

"From 2014 to 2015, the amount levied was raised from $771,000 to $919,250; from 2015 to 2016, the amount levied was raised from $919,250 to $1,066,000; and from 2016 to 2017, the amount levied was raised from $1,066,000 to $1,428,910," Ruocco said. "The total 'new property taxes' raised as a result of all of the cited ordinances is $657,910 over the three-year period."

Hoffman's flier also said, "Ruocco further crushed family budgets when she voted to raise sewage fees by 90 percent."

Ruocco said the board voted to approve a contract with St. Clair Township. The agreement allowed the township's residents to use the Swansea wastewater-treatment plant. There was no mention of rates in the resolution passed on May, 5, 2014. The minutes of the Nov. 4, 2013 Board of Trustees meeting show that Ordinance 1686 established wastewater rates for non-residents of Swansea – not the residents of the village.

In addition to disputing Hoffman's campaign mailer, Ruocco said Hoffman voted in favor of HB 696, which provides a property tax freeze for Swansea, where he lives, but leaves out the surrounding communities of Belleville, Fairview Heights and Granite City. The bill would not freeze property taxes for home-rule governments, which applies to 7.8 million Illinois residents. The bill moved on to the Senate, where it is still under consideration.  

Ruocco also said Hoffman voted in favor of the 2011 temporary income tax hike, which raised personal income taxes from 3 to 5 percent and corporate income taxes from 4.8 to 7 percent. The state collected an additional $31.6 billion in taxes, yet the unpaid-bill backlog was only reduced by approximately $1.5 billion. The Taxpayer Accountability and Budget Stabilization Act expired in January 2015, amid speculation that lawmakers would try to make it a permanent tax increase.

Hoffman also voted in favor of the unbalanced budget passed by the House in late May. Although the state Constitution requires a balanced budget, the proposed budget was $7 billion in the red. The Senate voted against the unbalanced budget and presented a bill to fund education. That bill, in turn, was voted down by the House. When the Assembly left on break on June 1, the state was left without a budget. Before the beginning of the new fiscal year, however, lawmakers hammered out a temporary "stopgap" budget that funded education and essential services. It will expire in November, after the election. The General Assembly will have to address the budget again before the new legislators take office in January.

Ruocco expressed her dismay at the unbalanced budget presented in May. If that budget had passed, taxpayers could have faced a tax hike of approximately 47 percent to cover the state's bills.

"Hard-working Illinois families are currently too overtaxed and can't afford this reckless disregard for our taxpayer dollars," Ruocco said. "If elected, I will OPPOSE such reckless spending and PROTECT your hard-earned tax dollars. Please support me and VOTE NO to another historic income tax hike."