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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The Potential of Local Child Tax Credits to Reduce Child Poverty

October 8, 2025 • By Aidan Davis, Galen Hendricks, Kamolika Das, Rita Jefferson

Local governments have a critical role to play in reducing child poverty. Local Child Tax Credits could provide large tax cuts to families at the bottom of the income scale, lessening the overall regressivity of state and local tax systems.

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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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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