Normal City Manager Mark Peterson and For the Good of Illinois PAC Chairman Adam Andrzejewski debate property tax cuts. (Stephanie Pawlowski/WJBC)

By Stephanie Pawlowski

NORMAL - A small-government advocate wants to see a freeze in property taxes when home values drop to take a burden off taxpayers.

Adam Andrzejewski with For the Good of Illinois PAC is proposing a three point plan to cut government, including freezing property taxes for three years.

"Government managers, government spenders - they need to answer the question as to why they can't live for the next three years on the revenues they've been living on," Andrzejewski said.

His plan also includes auditing every area and level of government and to repeal the state's income tax increase.

Normal City Manager Mark Peterson said no one wants higher taxes, but said there's a price to pay for freezing or cutting taxes.

"When you choke town the ability of any organization to raise income, raise revenue then they have to change their operation to accommodate that," Peterson said.

He said Normal has one of the lowest property taxes in downstate Illinois compared to other communities of the same size.

Andrzejewski said his plan would make government operate like people do at home. Peterson said a vast majority of the $10 million the town levies goes to mandated employee pension costs and social security costs. Money is also levied for the Normal Public Library.

On Monday night, the Normal Town Council will get the first look at the proposed property tax levy for 2012. It's estimated the assessed value of residential property will drop one percent this year, so town staff are asking the city council to consider an increase in the property tax rate of $1.2576 this year. Last year, the tax rate was $1.1897.

To listen to Andrzejewski and Peterson, go to the WJBC Podcast page.

Stephanie Pawlowski can be reached at Stephanie.Pawlowski@Cumulus.com.