Will County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Patty Smith wants voters to know she understands the struggle caused across the state by high taxes.

“This my friends is why I’m running for state representative of District 84,” Smith recently posted on Facebook. “We must remove those from office who are blocking our ability to provide relief for our hard working [sic] families.”

As an example of the obstacles, Smith shared an Illinois Policy Institute post highlighting the struggles of Michael Serrano. The Oak Lawn resident stated he hopes to put Illinois in his rearview mirror within the next year because home ownership here has become almost impossible due to rising property taxes. Serrano also said he travels to Indiana at least three times a month to save on groceries, cigarettes and gas.

Rep. Stephanie Kifowit

“Another sad story from a hard working resident of Illinois,” stated Smith, who is facing off against Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) in the 84th District. “As I knock on doors and meet residents across the 84th district, I hear this message over and over.”

Smith also recently addressed how Illinois has some of the highest worker compensation costs in the area.

“High costs drive manufacturing jobs out of the state and imposes a heavy burden on Illinois taxpayers,” she wrote in another post. “State lawmakers have failed to reform it to bring costs in line with surrounding states.”

The 2016 Oregon Workers Compensation Premium Rate Ranking study recently listed Illinois as the most expensive state in the region for worker's compensation and as the seventh most expensive in the country at an average cost of $2.23 per $100 of payroll.

A paralegal for a nonprofit organization that offers free legal services to low-income individuals, Smith has vowed her campaign will focus on putting the interest of the people at the forefront of Springfield's agenda.

The 84th House District includes Aurora, Naperville, Oswego and Wheatland.