Illinois leads the nation in local government bloat, with over 6,000 taxing bodies. The Citizen’s Empowerment Act, sponsored by Illinois House Rep. Jonathan Carroll, would make it easier for Illinois taxpayers to dissolve unnecessary layers of government.
A bill to eliminate some of Illinois’ 1,400 townships is on hold, but state lawmakers could revive it and give voters the power to reduce their property tax bills.
House Bill 433 would make it easier for Illinois taxpayers to dissolve unnecessary units of government in the state with the nation’s highest number of government units.
Illinois townships often spend more on administration than services when they cover the same territory as a local municipality. One bill would make it easier for voters to change that.
While often regarded as a duplicative and unnecessary unit of government, former township employees in Illinois have banked more than $273 million in pension benefits since 1998.
Alton residents are paying for two overlapping units of government – the city of Alton and Alton Township. But voters will soon have the chance to slash costs by dissolving the city’s redundant township.