By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois state senator wants to speed up the process that allows consolidation to reduce units of local governments and in a bid to reduce the state’s highest-in-the-nation property taxes.
State Sen. Tom Cullerton’s bill, Senate Bill 2544, would allow a county board to authorize the dissolution of a governmental unit within 60 days, rather than 150 days, following a court appointing a trustee-in-dissolution.
Cullerton, D-Villa Park, said speeding up the process will help achieve his goal of reducing Illinois’ nearly 7,000 units of local government.
“Then in three or four years go from 7,000 down to 6,000,” Cullerton said. “Another three to four years, go down to 5,000. I think we’d show the people we’re being efficient and actually working in their benefit.”
Illinois has the highest number of local governmental units in the country. Cullerton hopes consolidation will lead to lower taxes.
“The long term goal is to also reduce property taxes,” Cullerton said. “Everyone keeps talking [a property tax] freeze, I want to reduce that.”
Illinois is next to New Jersey for having the highest property taxes in the nation.
Cullerton’s bill passed out of the Senate Government Reform committee Wednesday.
More work is expected for another consolidation bill that would require a study to determine possible cost savings in consolidating road districts.
Lawmakers debated Senate Bill 2593 that requires an independent cost study to determine the cost efficiencies in abolishing a road district.
Opponents of the measure, like state Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, said the requirement for the study would cost townships too much.
“Twenty thousand dollars, or whatever it’s gonna cost, that’s not fair,” Morrison said. “That’s not fair for a town board to have to always be anticipating that they are going to have to have a study.”
State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said the study shouldn’t cost that much nor would it be required annually. Without the numbers in black and white, Rose fears any efforts to consolidate would be thwarted.
“Without this type of a study you’ll have more referendums fail than pass based upon whisper campaigns because nobody knows,” Rose said.
Rose held his bill in committee to hash out some amendments following Wednesday’s hearing.
