A residential property tax relief provision helped the Chicago Bears’ stadium bill pass the Illinois House last month, but Gov. JB Pritzker’s office says any help for homeowners under the proposal would be “negligible.”

That sends lawmakers back to the drawing board to hammer out so-called megaproject legislation that can keep together a diverse Democratic caucus, and keep the Bears in Illinois.

“We agree in the Senate with the House’s effort to embed property tax relief in the bill, and we are endeavoring to find the best way to do that,” state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, said Monday en route to Springfield, where lawmakers have until May 31 to reach a consensus. “We want to see if there is a way to make it more significant.”

Dozens of other states have such megaproject legislation to incentivize large-scale developments, allowing companies that invest in big projects to negotiate discounted payments with local taxing bodies instead of footing their full assessed property tax bill. Pritzker has long pushed for such a measure to attract business to Illinois.

The bill championed by state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, calls for half the proceeds from payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to be set aside for property tax rebates and relief, in an effort to help average homeowners while helping big companies.

Of that half of PILOT payments, 60% would go toward rebates for homeowners in the taxing district, and 40% would go into a statewide relief fund.

An analysis conducted by Pritzker’s office and shared with legislators found that from a hypothetical $20 million PILOT payment made for a large industrial development, a typical Illinois homeowner would see only $1.29 in relief.

Returns would shrink correspondingly for smaller developments, “resulting in negligible property tax relief for Illinoisans,” the governor’s office concluded.

Buckner acknowledged the concerns but said the framework in his bill could generate “more growth, more development, more activity across the state. And that kind of success can create a steady stream of new revenue… that we can begin directing into real property tax relief.

“Once that stream is real, we can refine it. We can revamp the program, make it more targeted,” Buckner said. “We can’t decide to do nothing because we don’t yet have the tools to do everything. I know the Governor’s office, the House and the Senate agree on that. We all know we have to act. This is about taking a real, responsible first step and building from there.”

For now, it’s up to Cunningham and other leaders in his chamber to come up with a bill palatable not only for the Bears, but for Chicago Democrats who are loath to let the Bears leave the city, and progressives who are hesitant to offer any assistance to big companies while costs rise for residents.

Late add-ons to the House legislation — including tax incentives for the redevelopment of “underused railyards,” potentially paving the way for a White Sox stadium at the South Loop Amtrak yard — have also complicated negotiations.

But meaningful property tax relief for the average homeowner would go a long way toward offsetting the inescapable optics of assisting a pro sports franchise that’s valued at $8.9 billion and weighing a sweetheart deal from Indiana lawmakers.

“A megaproject bill is not just for the Bears,” said Cunningham, who’s optimistic that an agreement can be reached within the next few weeks. “We are hoping that it triggers other development projects. If there are other development projects, there could be more money going to property tax relief.”

“It’s just difficult to determine what number we can project,” he said. “We’re estimating the amount of money that would go into a property tax relief pool, because we don’t know ultimately how many megaprojects there are going to be.”