Normal Residents Deserve a Say in Increasing Taxes.
We are organizing concerned residents to educate their neighbors, improve public policy at the local level, and lessen our tax burden. Are you in?
Normal's economic burden: By the numbers
Starting in 2026, Normal raised its sales tax from 2% to 2.25% and its hotel tax from 6% to 8% to repay a $12 million bond for a single underpass project. The town's own finance director confirmed these higher rates are locked in for 25 years, meaning residents will keep paying more long after most people have forgotten why.
Since 2003, Normal has used Tax Increment Financing to help fund a Marriott, a Hyatt Place, and multiple private development projects uptown — diverting property tax revenue that would otherwise go to schools and other public services. Even some sitting council members have publicly asked why a "successful" district still needs continued taxpayer incentives to attract new businesses.
McLean County's median property tax bill already runs as high as $4,503 — above both the Illinois and national averages — split across nine separate taxing bodies on every Normal resident's bill.
Normal's combined sales tax now sits at 9.75%, following the increase to fund the Uptown underpass project — one of the higher combined rates charged anywhere in Illinois.
What's Driving It
Policy Failures
A Quarter-Century Tax Hike, Decided Without a Public Vote
Normal's council raised the sales tax and hotel tax specifically to repay a $12 million bond — and locked those higher rates in for 25 years, an entire generation, without putting the tax increase itself to a public referendum. Residents born the year this started won't see the rate return to normal until they're old enough to have kids of their own paying it too.
Subsidizing Private Development Long After "Success" Was Declared
Normal's Uptown redevelopment has been publicly celebrated by town officials and outside consultants as a success story for over 20 years. Yet the town continues approving new incentive packages for private businesses in the same district — prompting even some of its own council members to ask why a thriving area still needs taxpayer money to attract new tenants. If it's working, ongoing subsidies shouldn't be necessary. If it still needs subsidies, it's fair to ask whether it's actually working.
Fragmented Taxing Bodies, Nobody Fully Accountable
Every Normal property tax bill is split across nine separate taxing bodies, each setting its own rate independently. When tax authority is spread this thin, no single official is fully accountable for the total burden residents carry — and it becomes nearly impossible for an average homeowner to know who to hold responsible when the bill goes up.
We Need Leaders Like You
Communities like yours need leaders that are willing to step up to make Illinois more affordable.
Education
Learn how the city council functions, how to speak at community events and to board members directly.
Connection
Connect with a growing network of neighbors who share your concerns and are ready to stand together and demand change.
Action
Get practical tools to participate in school board and other city government meetings, submit public comments, and hold local officials accountable.
Support
Ongoing help from experienced community advocates who've successfully driven change across Normal and other parts of Illinois.
Are You In?
Submit your information and our team will personally reach out to you.
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