Village breaking state law for transparency and fails online transparency audit  

 CHICAGO (May 22, 2014) – With the revelation that the former clerk for the village of Burnham, Ill., stole more than $650,000 in tax dollars from city funds, taxpayers want to know how this could have been prevented and where else it could be happening. New research from the nonpartisan Illinois Policy Institute shows that Burnham is breaking state transparency laws such as the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act. These are laws that could have worked to prevent the village’s case of massive theft and fraud.

By law, local Illinois governments are required to post information regarding calendars, agendas and minutes for government meetings, as well as request and contact information, notification of Freedom of Information Act officers and the process to file for requests. The village of Burnham has none of this information publicly available online.

In addition to violating state law, Burnham also recently failed an online transparency audit. The online audit – conducted by the Illinois Policy Institute – used a 10-point transparency checklist that includes such items as searchable budgets and expenditures, contract information and many others aspects that allow taxpayers to view public corruption taking place or prevent it entirely.

“Unfortunately, cases such as the one in Burnham are not unique in Illinois. Local governments have a legal and ethical responsibility to actively provide taxpayers the information and resources to monitor and prevent corruption,” said Brian Costin, the Institute’s director of government reform. “A state that doesn’t learn from its history is destined to repeat its failures. And the state of Illinois has done little to address its corruption problem.”

Some highlights from Burnham’s online transparency audit include:

 • The village had no available information regarding government budgets, financial audits, expenditures, employee salary and benefits, government contracts or lobbying.

• The village is breaking state law by not posting information related to salary and benefits, village meeting agendas and minutes, and public records data.

• With a score of just 15.9 out of a possible 100 points, the village of Burnham has one of the worst online transparency scores in Illinois.

 “Illinoisans pay some of the highest taxes in the country,” Costin said. “They deserve open and honest governments that they can know are spending their tax dollars responsibly.”

The Institute’s full analysis, along with transparency audit details, can be found online here: http://www.illinoispolicy.org/burnhams-650k-corruption-scandal-a-lot-like-dixons/