The top three issues are costs, safety and protecting our freedoms from the Trump administration. The affordability challenge has become particularly pressing with the recent egregious property tax bills. I will put us on a better path by passing legislation to prevent sharp property tax increases. Other states cushion homeowners with stronger homestead exemptions, phased-in reassessments, better tethering of assessments to what you bought a house for — given that your income may not have changed while an assessment has — and caps on year-over-year assessment growth. Additionally, I propose making our property tax system more transparent and fair. I will continue to raise income thresholds for the Senior Freeze to reflect today’s costs of living, create a tax relief program for seniors with high medical expenses and increase exemption amounts for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. Just as important, we’ll move to automatic or simple opt-in “check the box” renewal wherever legally possible. Hence, people actually receive the relief to which they are entitled. Homeowners deserve predictable property tax information without the drama or delays. I commit to partnering with other levels of government, such as our local assessor, clerk, treasurer and county board, to deliver early, transparent tax estimates with significant time to spare before final bills, so that families can plan their future with confidence. Instead of pointing fingers, we’ll align on solutions: a shared data standard and utilizing state resources for technology to expedite evaluations, providing estimated ranges in advance when possible. I’ll push for using the state’s administrative capacity to enhance online tools, such as a dashboard and opt-in text/email alerts, that notify residents at key milestones (assessment, appeals window, tax-rate setting and finalization). This is about making levels of government work together to get taxpayers the information they need, when they need it. Even good programs fail if residents can’t find or navigate them. I will require plain-language notices on every tax bill showing estimated eligibility for state and local relief, create a one-stop statewide application that pre-populates from prior filings and work with state of Illinois departments to publish an online “relief dashboard” so taxpayers can track when their credit or refund is issued. Senior freeze enrollment should be the default, rather than requiring annual registration. And the caps should automatically rise with inflation and be adjusted for household size. The goal is simple: Put more money back in family budgets, quickly and predictably. Finally, we must create a competitive business climate that improves our commercial sector, so the burden is not shifted onto homeowners, as happened this year. Ultimately, we need to be more efficient and streamlined in how funds raised for schools reach the classroom, so they drive outcomes that help students succeed. I am proposing a better deal in Illinois — we should feel confident that the state spends our tax dollars responsibly. I will fight to achieve that better deal for us.