Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Rita Jefferson

Local Analyst

Rita Jefferson

Rita is a Local Analyst who focuses on equity and fairness. Prior to joining ITEP, Rita worked for the Cook County Treasurer’s Office on research related to property taxation, tax collection, and municipal debt. She has also worked on issues including fines and fees, state block grants, and homelessness prevention.

She has a Master of Public Policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Chicago.

 rita at itep.org

Recent Publications

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Making the Wealthy Pay their Fair Share is the Way to Preserve Vacation Towns

September 10, 2025 • By Rita Jefferson

Rhode Island lawmakers created a new surcharge on second homes worth more than $1 million as part of the budget enacted this spring.

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Anti-Tax Revolts Backfire: What We’ve Learned from 50 Years of Property Tax Limits

July 15, 2025 • By Rita Jefferson

Across-the-board property tax cuts create less fair local tax systems in the long run. State legislators and local governments should prioritize the residents who can least afford their property taxes, not the residents and businesses who can.

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Recent Media Mentions

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Injustice Watch: Property-Tax Foreclosure Reform Gets Put Off by Illinois Legislators

June 6, 2025 • By Rita Jefferson

“It boggles the mind that the state legislature would just keep kicking the can down the road, and you have a crisis on your hands,” said Rita Jefferson, an analyst with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit that advocates for more equitable tax policies.

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Newsweek: Florida Wants to Cut Property Taxes—But California Has a Warning

April 10, 2025 • By Rita Jefferson

As state lawmakers consider cutting and even abolishing property taxes in Florida, California—which passed major reform in the late 1970s protecting homeowners against significant hikes—offers a cautionary tale of how well-intended tax revolts can backfire against those they should benefit. Read more.

More Media Mentions of Rita Jefferson