Report of Jack Franks Commission to Cut Local Governments Two Years Past Due

Jack Franks

Jack Franks

The Better Government Association’s Andy Shaw has written a column for the Chicago Sun-Times in which he talks about the enormous number of local governmental units in Illinois.

Forty percent more than any other state.

He mentions a commission called the Local Government Consolidation Commission.

State Representative Jack Franks (D-Marengo) created and now chairs it.

Here’s what Shaw says,

“Another commission, on Local Government Consolidation, was expected to release its recommendations nearly two years ago, but we’re still waiting.”


Comments

Report of Jack Franks Commission to Cut Local Governments Two Years Past Due — 13 Comments

  1. Is the problem the number of units or the next article posted after this one?

  2. The next sentence in the article says, “They’re supposedly tweaking their final report, so tweak away, but quickly.”

    Great job Jack is working to cut the government that is bigger than the state of Texas’ government.

  3. NotAnApologist:

    Do some research.

    The problem is not the NUMBER of units of government or the number of public sector employees in Illinois – the problem is what we pay them and the obscene benefits they receive!

    Texas has one public sector employee for every 15 citizens – Illinois has one public sector employee for every 16 citizens!!

    Do some research – you are falling for the “two many units of government” line fed to you by Andy Shaw, Jack Franks and others!!!

    Andy Shaw is deceiving you with a distorted view!

  4. The problem is both entitlements and too much government.

    Regardless, the public sector would not be able to attract talent unless some benefits existed.

    Eliminate pensions for part time jobs would be a great step.

    Just saying, it’s not either or.

    That’s a fallacy.

  5. Sometimes eliminating governments costs the taxpayer more money because of Illinois laws.

    For example, Illinois has a law that if two school districts consolidate, the teacher pay schedule of the higher district is to be used.

    The State subsidizes school district consolidations to help defray the cost to local taxpayers during school consolidations.

    After the subsidy is gone in a few years, local taxpayer costs go up by the amount of the removed subsidy.

    Also, the consolidated school district results in a more powerful teacher union, because the local school district union now has more members.

  6. Mark, I think we should be more than willing to consolidate a few districts.

    California has 1,069. Texas has 1,241. Illinois has 970.

    Cali has 38 million residents. Texas is at 26 million. Illinois has 12 million residents.
    Pennsylvania, a state comparable to illinois population, has 12 million residents, has 631 school districts.

    Iowa, a state that is nearly equal to Illinois in square miles, has 369 districts.

    Accounting for size and also population, it’s reasonable to infer that Illinois could consolidate the number of school districts to between 400-650.

    Additionally, if the average cost of a superintendent salary in Illinois is $130,000 a year and factoring in the average cost of assistant superintendents, eliminating between their salaries would give between 50,000,000 to 100,500,000 back to the taxpayer.

    Every year.

    It’s worth it Mark.

  7. And, if Crystal Lake High School District 155 were merged with the Cary, Crystal Lake and Fox River Grove School Grade Districts and the grade school teachers’ salaries were raised to the level of District 155’s, the statewide savings on fewer administrators would be paid by the new District 155’s property taxpayers.

    Re-read that and let it sink in, please.

    School Consolidation Would Cost Taxpayers Plenty

    AP Finally Figures Out Quinn’s School Consolidation Plan Will Raise Local Taxes Because of Increased Grade School Teachers’ Salaries

  8. The Local Government Consolidation Commission and the Local Government Consolidation Commission Act of 2011 were created when Democrat Governor Pat Quinn signed House Bill 0268 (HB 0268) into law as Public Act 97-0316 (PA 97-0316) on August 12, 2011.

    HB 268 > PA 97-316.

    +++++++++

    The following sentence is part of PA 97-0316.

    The Commission shall render its final report to the General Assembly not later than December 31, 2012, setting out its findings and recommendations and proposing those measures it considers necessary to effect essential changes and improvements in the existing laws relating to any or all of the matters enumerated in Section 10 of this Act.”

    ++++++++

    The December 31, 2012 deadline was changed to no later than September 30, 2013 when Governor Quinn signed House Bill 1045 (HB 1045) into law as Public Act 98-0124 (PA 98-0124) on August 22, 2013.

    ++++++++

    The report was delivered in March or April of 2014.

  9. Per the 98th General Assembly House Journal for April 3, 2014, the Local Government Consolidation Commission report was submitted by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) on April 2, 2014.

    ilga.gov > Public Acts > Public Acts/Leg. From Previous General Assemblies > Please select a General Assembly: 98 (2013 – 2014) Go > House Journals

    http://www.ilga.gov/house/journals/98/2014/HJ098114R.pdf

  10. Prior to the 2011 – 2014 Local Government Consolidation Commission, there was a 2005 Local Government Consolidation Commission.

    +++++++++

    On July 19, 2005, Illinois Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich signed House Bill 62 (HB 0062) into law as Public Act 92-0244 (PA 92-0244).

    HB 62 > PA 92-244

    Excerpts from PA 92-0244:

    “This Act may be cited as the Local Government Consolidation Commission Act.”

    “There is created a Commission on Local Government, to consist of

    17 members,

    3 to be members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate,

    3 to be members of the Senate appointed by the Senate Minority Leader,

    3 to be members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House,

    3 to be members of the House of Representatives appointed by the House Minority Leader, and

    5 to be citizens of the State appointed by the Governor as follows:

    (1) One member selected from recommendations provided by an association representing counties;

    (2) One member selected from recommendations provided by an association representing municipalities;

    (3) One member selected from recommendations provided by an association representing townships;

    (4) One member selected from recommendations provided by an association representing park districts; and

    (5) One member who serves as an elected officer of a local governmental entity in Illinois other than a county, municipality, township, or park district.”

    “The Commission shall render its final report to the General Assembly not later than December 31, 2006, setting out its findings and recommendations and proposing those measures it considers necessary to effect essential changes and improvements in the existing laws relating to any or all of the matters enumerated in Section 10 of this Act.”

    +++++++++++++

    McHenry County Sponsors of the bill included Democrat State Representative Jack Franks and Republican State Senator Pam Althoff.

    ++++++++

    http://www.ilga.gov

  11. PA 95-0261 changed the due date of the Local Government Consolidation Commission report that was to be produced as the result of PA 94-0244.

    Per PA 95-0261, the due date was changed from December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2007.

    ilga.gov > Public Acts > Public Acts/Leg. From Previous General Assemblies > Please select a General Assembly: 95 (2007 – 2008) Go > Public Acts: Listing > Public Acts 095-0201 Thru 095-0300 > Public Act 095-0261 – SB 0255 – LOC GOV- COMMISSION REPORT

    +++++++++++++

    On August 17, 2007, Democrat Governor Rod Blagojevich signed Senate Bill 0255 (SB 0255) into law as Public Act 95-0261 (PA 95-0261).

    http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=255&GAID=9&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=27765&SessionID=51&GA=95

    +++++++++++++

    Then McHenry County Republican State Senator Pam Althoff was a Senate Sponsor of SB 0255 in the 95th General Assembly.

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