A press release from State Rep. David McSweeney:
House Committee Advances Cullerton-McSweeney Bill to Promote Local Government Consolidation
Springfield, IL…The Illinois House Counties and Townships Committee today approved a proposal to help reduce the number of units of local government in Illinois, according to Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills), the House sponsor of the legislation.
The measure previously passed the Senate without opposition. Senator Thomas Cullerton (D-Lake Villa) is the Senate sponsor.
David McSweeney
“Illinois has more than 7,000 units of local government,” Rep. McSweeney said. “Many of these units of government are duplicative and outdated in their functionality. We need to look at ways to reduce the number of units of local government and stop costing taxpayers money. Senate Bill 2994 moves us closer to dissolving unnecessary and duplicative units of government.”
Senate Bill 2994 requires every county to prepare a report for the General Assembly identifying any local public entity to which the county board, board of county commissioners, county board chairman or president, or county executive makes appointments.
“The purpose here is to get an assessment of how many boards and local governing bodies we have in Illinois with the hope that we can ultimately reduce the number of these boards at the local level,” McSweeney said.
“A recent Wallethub.com survey shows how Illinois has the highest state and local taxes of any state in the country. Clearly, Illinois residents are paying a lot for all of these units of local government. Consolidating local government is the best long-term way to reduce property taxes.”
Senate Bill 2994 passed the Illinois House Counties and Townships Committee by a vote of 11-0. The legislation moves to the full House for further consideration.
This could be significant progress in reducing all the redundant layers of government in Illinois (especially Mchenry County) that drive our taxes sky high.
Now, it would be even better if politicians take up a torch to get rid of part time employees pension funds that weigh us down in insane debt.
Hope people come forward & jump on that.
How does part Time employees drive our taxes high?
http://wqad.com/2016/05/11/failure-to-pay-bills-on-time-has-cost-illinois-nearly-a-billion-dollars/
Pass a budget and you will save us wasted money.
Do your job.
I agree with Karma.
Do your job.
Pass a balanced budget!
Consolidating government may help but it’s not the major problem.
The major problem is way too many laws created by the Illinois General Assembly and policies created by local units of government are hostile to taxpayers, leaving the taxpayers with little transparency, input, and control.
Here’s some support for the above assertion the number of units of government are not the main problem.
Illinois has over time reduced the units of government.
Have taxes decreased?
Has the taxpayer burden and obligations increased or decreased?
Illinois is in far worse condition with fewer units of government because the laws have been changed as the units of government were reduced leaving us in worse financial condition, not better.
The rules to the game are rigged.
McSweeney cannot get anything done in Springfield they don’t like him and they just laugh when he tries to get something done
Newfound admiration for Mark.
(And he even used the correct too. I’m over the moon with admiration over that.)