Rock Island Today

State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) says the state budget passed in July continues to reveal its true nature in ugly ways, according to her website.

McCombie argues that the latest issue is with the Illinois Department of Revenue's Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) plan.

“Every week we uncover more problems in the superficial budget passed in July," she wrote. "The majority party continues to use the increase of taxes, mandates and now the diversion of PPRT to fund their own priority projects, which will have a devastating effect on local communities. The Department of Revenue just released its FY18 PPRT estimates and the effects are astounding. Included in the forecast was a reduction of $6 million to our local school districts and an additional reduction of $4 million to our local units of government."

An image included with McCombie's post shows that schools in her district will lose $5,971,799 in 2018.

McCombie said PPRT funds are supposed to go to local school districts, counties, townships, fire departments, police departments, hospitals and parks.

“This budget reflects an ever-increasing list of non-essential items that is impossible to balance without reforms to our structure or reforms to our spending," she wrote. "We have to stop the practice of sweeping money from our pensions (and) other funds and away from the people of Illinois.”