There’s a familiar feeling of dread many Illinoisans share when the county notices appear in their mailboxes. They know their property tax bills will cause them pain. The only question is how much more pain than last year.

Property taxes are supposed to fund things that benefit our communities: Our children’s educations; the helpful librarian; our neighborhood park; the lifesaving firefighter. But even when they fund good causes, the rates at which property taxes are rising in Illinois are alarming and seem never ending. Illinoisans pay the second-highest effective property tax rate and highest residential tax burden in the nation.

“Never ending” is just a perception, right? For now, maybe. But come Election Day, a proposed constitutional amendment will ask voters to make never-ending property tax increases a reality in Illinois.

Sold by proponents as a “Workers’ Rights Amendment,” Amendment 1 would change the Illinois Constitution if Illinoisans vote for it on the Nov. 8 ballot. Though relatively unpublicized, the anti-taxpayer amendment would have more long-term consequences for Illinoisans than perhaps any other issue in this election cycle. If passed, the near-irremovable law would guarantee that Illinoisans see more property tax increases in the coming years and open the door for countless other increases over time.

How?

Through the unprecedented power the amendment gives to public-sector unions and the hidden costs Illinoisans would pay to fund a broader range of union demands.

If passed, Amendment 1 would give public-sector unions the power to make virtually limitless demands and expand unions’ rights in collective bargaining negotiations. For example, under Amendment 1, a teachers union could potentially demand housing allowances and then go on strike if their demands aren’t met; currently, the union is only able to strike over wages, hours and conditions of employment — not general economic or social demands.

The new demands would drive up the cost of local government and necessitate higher property taxes. The more expensive the demands and government costs over time, the more property taxes would need to increase to pay for them.

The result? Unions get a “blank check,” or permission to make demands that would raise property taxes in perpetuity.

An Illinois Policy Institute model based on how property taxes have risen during the past decade shows that the typical Illinois family will see a total property tax hike of at least $2,149 during the next four years, even without Amendment 1. At the very least, Amendment 1 would ensure Illinoisans’ property taxes continue to increase at the same rate to fund current union benefits. At worst, if the amendment passes, property tax rates would climb to inestimable heights.

But the amendment goes further. To ensure Illinoisans will have little to no chance of seeing a property tax decrease, language in the amendment prohibits new laws from being passed that would interfere with the unions’ rights to bargain over virtually limitless demands. This effectively bars politicians from granting property tax relief that would save taxpayers money.

Here’s that portion of the amendment from the Nov. 8 ballot:

“The new amendment would also prohibit from being passed any new law that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and workplace safety.”

An amendment like this has never existed in any state, and for good reason. Almost no hope for property tax relief coupled with an unlimited potential for new costs means the burden on Illinois taxpayers continues to grow. When our friends and neighbors say they can’t afford one more property tax increase — let alone never-ending ones — they mean it.

The good news is this general election will give voters their first opportunity to take a state vote against rising property taxes. A resounding “no” from voters on Amendment 1 would send a powerful message to leaders to prioritize taxpayer reforms and solutions. Voters should take this opportunity and vote “no” on Amendment 1.

One vote could be the difference between never-ending property tax increases and giving Illinoisans a chance to control their mailbox dread.

• Matt Paprocki is president of the Illinois Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization.