House Republicans’ 4-year property tax freeze fails homeowners

By John Klingner, Craig Lesner

06/15/2017

Local spending drivers need to be reformed to truly relieve taxpayers of Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes.

TAGS: budget, collective bargaining, Illinois House of Representatives, local government, local government consolidation, prevailing wage, property taxes, school district consolidation, taxes

Fact-checking Madigan: Rauner’s agenda is packed with budgetary items

By Michael Lucci

06/01/2017

Though Illinois Democrats insist Gov. Bruce Rauner’s reform agenda has nothing to do with the state’s budget, Rauner’s original proposed spending reforms would allow the state to balance its budget without hitting up taxpayers for more revenue.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, budget, collective bargaining, consolidation, local government consolidation, Mike Madigan, pensions, prevailing wage, workers compensation

Illinois House passes bill to allow dissolution of township road districts

By Mindy Ruckman

05/01/2017

House Bill 607 would allow for the consolidation of a duplicative layer of government, something Illinois taxpayers desperately need.

TAGS: local government, local government consolidation, property taxes, Sam Yingling

Illinois House passes bill to allow residents to dissolve townships

By Brendan Bakala

03/30/2017

On March 29, the Illinois House of Representatives voted almost unanimously in favor of allowing voters to decide on local government consolidation – a crucial component of shrinking local government spending, which drives up property taxes. State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, sponsored House Bill 496, which received bipartisan support – more than a dozen representatives...

TAGS: HB 496, local government consolidation, townships

A solution to the property tax problem

By Austin Berg

02/03/2017

Illinois has by far the most units of government in the nation, at nearly 7,000.

TAGS: local government, local government consolidation, property taxes, real estate, school district consolidation

Instead of a tax hike, consolidate Illinois’ 7,000 units of local government

By Brendan Bakala

01/26/2017

As lawmakers consider massive tax hikes on Illinoisans, they should look to consolidate nearly 7,000 units of local government and to cut their high administrative costs.

TAGS: education, local government consolidation, property taxes

Illinois Senate budget proposal weak on consolidation

By Mindy Ruckman

01/26/2017

Instead of giving Illinois residents the power to initiate referendums on local government consolidation, Senate Bill 3 vests this power in government officials, who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

TAGS: local government, local government consolidation, property taxes

Naperville and Lisle townships to vote on consolidating road districts

By Mindy Ruckman

01/11/2017

Voters in Naperville and Lisle townships will have the chance to vote on government consolidation after the success of a similar referendum in the November elections.

TAGS: local government, local government consolidation, municipal government

Illinois takes steps toward consolidating its 7,000 units of government

By Mindy Ruckman

12/22/2016

Illinois’ duplicative and overlapping units of government contribute to the state’s high property tax burden, but luckily some small steps have been taken to consolidate them.

TAGS: local government, local government consolidation, property taxes

DuPage residents vote to consolidate local units of government

By Brendan Bakala

11/11/2016

Voters in Naperville and surrounding townships voted in favor of government consolidation in nonbinding ballot questions.

TAGS: local government, local government consolidation, property taxes

Illinois’ economic weakness results in nation’s highest black unemployment rate

Report Archive

Grant Crowley

Policy lessons from Illinois’ exodus of people and money

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students