Small Lake County Sanitary Districts Allowed to Merge with Lake County Operation

Weekend readers found an article about this new law on Saturday, but here is the press release about it from State Senator Pam Althoff and State Rep. Barb Wheeler: New law signed by Gov. Rauner aims to save Lake County … Continue reading

Wheeler & Althoff Pass Bill Allowing Local Sanitary District to Go Out of Business

There is a lot of talk about consolidation local governments, but little significant action. State Rep. Barb Wheeler and State Senator Pam Althoff have passed a bill designed to lead to one fewer local government in Illinois. They have successfully … Continue reading

Looking for the Beef in Jack Franks’ Latest Consolidation Bill

Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association bragged that Jack Franks’ bill that would allow the McHenry County Board to do what the DuPage County Board had done with regard to governmental consolidation deserved “a shout out.” I remember Franks’ … Continue reading

Franks Not Serious Enough about Government Consolidation to Attend Half of Meetings

The Local Government Consolidation Task Force Report recommendations are out and it has lots of detail regarding the proceedings, which you read here. One person who did take a look at the report was Jack Franks’ 2014 opponent Steve Reick. … Continue reading

Local Government Consolidation Report Issued

A press release from Governor Bruce Rauner: Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force Issues Final Report to Governor Task force makes 27 recommendations for streamlining local government, empowering communities & saving taxpayer dollars OAK BROOK – Illinois Lieutenant … Continue reading

No Cost-Benefit Analysis on Township Consolidation, Just Data Dump – Part 4

One of the main participants in the McHenry County Board’s Township Consolidation Task Force meeting last Tuesday was Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller. When he first spoke he told of hearing that McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller had … Continue reading

Rauner Out to Make FPD Consolidation Easier

Below is an amendatory veto from Governor Bruce Rauner: Veto Message for HB 219 To the Honorable Members of The Illinois House of Representatives, 99th General Assembly: Today I return House Bill 219 with a specific recommendation for change. Current … Continue reading

Duffy Criticizes Althoff

The following was written by State Senator Dan Duffy concerning a clone of the bill enacted at DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin’s request.  House Bill 229, sponsored in the Illinois House by State Rep. Jack Franks, it allows McHenry … Continue reading

An Example of Why Cost-Benefit Analysis Is Needed Before Reorganizing Local Government

Yesterday I basically lamented that proponents of township consolidation have not presented necessary homework. Before moving toward a change in governance, one should do a study estimating future costs with future benefits. Vividly I remember the pitch Governor Pat Quinn … Continue reading

School Consolidation Would Cost Taxpayers Plenty

Governor Pat Quinn thinks that consolidating schools will save big money because fewer administrators would be required. Reading the Daily Herald article, I notice that no mention is made of equalizing up elementary school teacher salaries to the level paid … Continue reading