New municipal transparency laws for 2013

A number of the new municipal laws going into effect for 2013 are related to increasing government transparency. These new laws include: Meeting agendas must contain the “general subject matter” for action items. (PA 97-827) Notices and agendas must be available for public review for 48 hours before meeting. (PA 97-827) Reports concerning sales tax rebate agreements...

A number of the new municipal laws going into effect for 2013 are related to increasing government transparency.

These new laws include:

• Meeting agendas must contain the “general subject matter” for action items. (PA 97-827)
• Notices and agendas must be available for public review for 48 hours before meeting. (PA 97-827)
• Reports concerning sales tax rebate agreements must be filed with the Department of Revenue. (PA 97-976)
• New notice and hearing requirements must be followed for the establishment of special service areas, which are taxing mechanisms that can be used to fund a wide range of special or additional services and physical improvements. (PA 97-1053)

While the progress in local government transparency is painstakingly slow, these reforms are small improvements that should be cheered. Hopefully, 2014 will bring bigger reforms, such as the Illinois Policy Institute-supported Local Government Transparency Act.

In 2012 the Institute’s Local Government Transparency Act, SB 3392, garnered six co-sponsors.