There is little doubt that township government provides little service to folks in cities and villages.
Assessment of property is the only function that touches every home and business owner.
True, municipalities receives a portion of road taxes, but obviously, the villages and cities maintain their own streets.
The third statutory “benefit” is general assistance. It is de minimis.
Here is the only current way that I can think of to eliminate township government, first presented at the first Township Consolidation Task Force meeting.
(Understand that I am not an attorney. The following is based upon what attorney Mike Walkup sent me about the subject.)
Have the McHenry County Board create a new township composed only of incorporated areas.
For example, Lakewood and Crystal Lake could be designated “Crystal Lake Township.”
Elect officers pledged to abolish the new township at the earliest opportunity.
A map of McHenry County showing its seventeen townships, plus municipalities. It is dated 2013.
Have the new township officials approach the Illinois General Assembly and ask permission to hold an abolition referendum in the new township, which would be coterminous with the two municipalities.
The legislature has done so for two coterminous townships, Evanston and Belleville, so the request could well be enacted.
The only impediment at this point, as far as this non-lawyer can see, is Jack Franks’ law prohibiting the creating of new governments for a two-year period.
The bigger question is this…how will consolidation cut costs?
If you consolidate two road districts of 10 employees each, but the consolidated district has 20 employees, you have saved nothing.
I am not suggesting consolidation.
Get rid of the parasites!
This is Township Government at work (bloody victim pictured is the poor taxpayer): https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6_Vrg3zAKl4/maxresdefault.jpg
The elimination of Township government has no impediment by Franks’ Law.
The law states that as long as as they are consolidating existing government, you can create this one unit.
Please fix the post, or do more research next time before posting incorrect information.
imho – a ‘Mickey Mouse’ approach.
We can now eliminate the dictatorial position of Road / Highway Commissioner.
There are seventeen elected positions that can be eliminated in the next four years.
Let us concentrate on that effort and then we can attack the ‘elimination / consolidation’ issue.
Relative to: “Elect officers pledged to abolish the new township at the earliest opportunity.”
It is legal to lie during a campaign.
We have had how many elections now that we should have eliminated the “round mound”?
Mike Madigan?
In this example, Crystal Lake Township would be a new unit of government, it seems to me.
And if you do not change you name to “Mark 2” or something that will differentiate yourself from long-time commenter “Mark,” I shall have to ask my tech guy to prevent your posting comments.
That’s cool – it’s doesn’t invalidate that you are posting incorrect information
Good thing to know you have a tech guy who can fix things.
Except death threats, apparently.
Most general assistance cases come from municipalities since this is where the majority of people live.
I think we should abolish all other forms of government, the Township compared to the state of Illinois or even our wonderful county always seem to work that’s more than I can say for those other clowns that we have in office
Grumpy is right.
We all know townships account for 2 percent of the property tax bill, and that the schools account for over SEVENTY PERCENT of the tax bill. Cal knows this.
But he has a personal vendetta against townships, so he ignores the real culprit in the property tax burden.
Similarly, we all know it can be legally problematic when terroristic threats against elected officials are allowed to be posted on one’s web site.
Cal knows this.
But he…umm…well…
I have no vendetta against townships.
I just see virtually no value for my household, except the assessing function.
When I buy something and the sales tax doesn’t come back directly to twh roads I live on what value is there in paying it?
I suppose you NEVER drive on twh roads right?
We share, like it or not we are a socialist nation.
Like your pension.
YAMON!