By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner’s move to make Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum a standalone state agency will result in tax savings, the museum’s administrator said. The move also will consolidate the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency into the Department of Natural Resources.
Museum Director Alan Lowe said he’s excited about the change because it will allow them more freedom to make things happen. Right now, there are three boards.
“There is an advisory board, there’s the [Illinois] Historic Preservation Agency board, and of course, we have a great foundation that has its own board,” he said.
IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal said IHPA will return to where it found its beginnings with IDNR’s predecessor, the Department of Conservation.
“And so the historic sites at one time were ours and all the site superintendents had the same job title as our park superintendents, so that all fits,” Rosenthal said.
Lowe said there will be some initial added cost in the move for the Library.
“Of course, standing us up [as a standalone agency] does involve making some new positions here that we need for things like human resources and so forth,” Lowe said. “The governor’s plan is to fold the [Illinois] Historic Preservation Agency into the Department of Natural Resources, so in that process there are certain efficiencies that come to play that in the end does save money.”
Rosenthal said the DNR is “looking for ways to better utilize volunteers at all of our parks and this would be the same way for the historic sites. We think that overall you lose some overhead,” Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal also said visitors to the state’s historic sites won’t notice any significant changes.
In a statement announcing the executive order last month, Rauner said, “We owe it to our citizens to be good stewards of the state’s resources, and these changes will deliver on that promise.”
The governor’s office said, all together, the move could save taxpayers $3.2 million annually.
The move is set to take effect July 1.
