Cook County is teeing up a high-profile tax fight for the fall of 2026, moving to put an advisory "Millionaire's Tax" question on the November 3 general-election ballot. Voters will be asked whether Illinois should tack on a 3% surcharge to individual income above $1 million, splitting the extra money between public schools and property-tax relief.
The county measure would not change state law on its own. Instead, supporters see it as a political temperature check, a way to show Springfield that Cook County voters are ready - or not - for a statewide constitutional amendment targeting top earners. The resolution landed on the Cook County Board's July calendar amid renewed efforts this year to ease rising property-tax burdens.
The resolution, listed as File #26026026026 in the Cook County Board's Legistar system, was sponsored by Commissioner Donna Miller, according to Cook County Legistar. FOX 32 Chicago aired a segment with anchor Anita Blanton and Miller walking through the proposal and emphasizing that the question would be non-binding and advisory only. The item was placed on the board's July 16 agenda for consideration.
What the ballot would ask
Under the county language, voters would see this question: "Shall Illinois adopt the Millionaire Amendment for Property Tax Relief and Education, which would enact a 3% income tax surcharge only on millionaires and use 50% of this new revenue to provide property tax relief for residential and commercial taxpayers and 50% to improve state funding for public education?" That wording appears in the county's File #26-1964 entry on the public docket, according to Cook County Legistar.
Why it matters
Backers are pitching the idea as a political two-for-one: more money for classrooms and a bit of breathing room for taxpayers who have been wincing at their property-tax bills. The Cook County Treasurer's office has documented those rising bills in county research, giving supporters plenty of talking points about pressure on homeowners and businesses.
State estimates have put potential revenue from a 3% surcharge in the ballpark of $4 billion to $4.5 billion a year, according to reporting in the Chicago Sun-Times. Advocates argue that cutting that kind of money in half for property-tax relief and half for education could meaningfully shift the state's long-running tug-of-war over who pays for schools: the state or local property owners.
What happens next
The county's move is strictly advisory. Even if the question passes by a wide margin, it would not itself create a new tax. Instead, it would give lawmakers in Springfield a read on where Cook County voters stand as they decide whether to put a binding constitutional amendment or follow-up legislation on a future statewide ballot.
FOX 32 Chicago reported that the question is explicitly designed to gauge public support while state legislators weigh their next move. If the county board signs off on the resolution as drafted, the question will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot, setting the stage for organized campaigns on both sides as election season ramps up.
Reactions
Supporters argue the surcharge is tightly focused and could deliver big results. Rep. La Shawn Ford told ABC7 Chicago that the tax would touch only about 32,000 filers while still generating billions for education and property-tax relief.
Critics are less impressed, raising familiar questions about trust and follow-through. "Illinoisans don't like passing something to find what's in it," Austin Berg of the Chicago Policy Center told ABC7, voicing skepticism about whether new revenue would truly be locked in for schools and tax relief rather than absorbed into the broader budget.
Assuming final board approval, the advisory question will appear on Cook County ballots on November 3, 2026. Between now and then, expect a steady drumbeat of arguments from both supporters and opponents as the larger statewide fight over who pays what - and why - keeps rolling.
