SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court has heard arguments in a case looking into the constitutionality of hospital tax exemptions.An attorney for Carle Foundation Hospital told the court Thursday the General Assembly had a right to create a path for not-for-profit hospitals to keep exemptions that allows them to not pay property taxes. Steven Pflaum told the high court the 4th District Appellate Court erred a year ago when it ruled the law unconstitutional.
Frederic Grosser, representing Urbana and Cunningham Township, contends the law that hospitals deserve exemptions if the value of charitable services exceed the value of their potential tax exemptions went beyond what was allowed by the constitution.
At stake in the case is eight years of property taxes that Carle has paid into an escrow account and potentially could be forced to pay Champaign County taxing bodies.
