Illinois Valley Times

Art Havenhill was born, raised and educated in Illinois. For three-quarters of a century he called the Land of Lincoln his home.

But in late 2018 Havenhill and his wife left, moving to North Carolina. Taxes, especially high property taxes, were a major reason.

He says he is disappointed the Illinois Legislature did not consider serious property tax reform during the 2020 session but he is not surprised. Havenhill, 76, said high taxes, an out-of-control pensions system and “elected incompetents” forced him and his wife and to flee Illinois, their state of birth and home for 70-plus years, in September 2018.

Havenhill was born in Chicago and grew up and went to school in Oak Lawn. He bought his first home in Park Forest, later lived in Plainfield and finally resided in Seneca before moving to North Carolina.

Havenhill said he has had several careers. He worked 11 years in credit and collections, 24 years in the automotive aftermarket, and nine years in casinos, as a dealer at a Harrah’s casino. He rose pit supervisor before transferring to slots, where he trained employees.

As seniors, the Haverhills' property tax level was locked in, he said, but by the time they left the state, they were paying around $2,800 annually for a single-level ranch home that was about 1,600 square feet and set on nine-tenths of an acre.

“For people who were not seniors, they were considerably more,” Havenhill said. “Property taxes were part of the reason we left; overall taxation fed into it much more.”

In North Carolina they have a home with a finished basement, meaning they are taxed on 4,000 square feet. Their property tax bill is $800, less than a third of what they paid for a smaller house in Illinois.

Havenhill knows there is a steady stream of people leaving Illinois. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the state’s population fell by 168,700 people from 2010-2019. No other state saw such a large decline during a decade when the nation’s population rose by nearly 22 million.

“I know a few who want to leave,” Havenhill said. “[But] they have families and jobs and things. They’re stuck there.”

He said a systematic change in state government is needed, but he is not optimistic.

“People have tried in the past, and they get shut down,” Havenhill said. “There’s nothing they can do. That had a lot to do with our reasoning to leave Illinois. We don’t think Illinois can survive.”

He said Republicans were unable to accomplish much or institute real reform during their time in charge. He called them ineffective and unable to push for change.

The state’s pension system, which is deeply in debt, is a vivid example.

“It makes me and you and so many people out there responsible for taking care of their own livelihood when they retire along with the people in the pension system,” he said. “The pension system there needs to be eradicated. They need to do away with it and replace it with a 4K.”

Havenhill admires Adam Andrzejewski, who sought the Republican nomination for governor in 2010 and is the founder and chief executive officer of OpenTheBooks.com. Havenhill said Illinois needs a complete examination of its finances.

“Believe me, the left did not want that done at all,” he said.

Havenhill was the founder and coordinator for the LaSalle County Tea Party in Ottawa and a state coordinator for TEA Party Patriots. He is still involved with the TEA Party movement in North Carolina.

While he lives in the Tar Heel State, he still cares deeply for his home state. Havenhill said he simply can’t afford to live there anymore.