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.

Voted out of office in 2017 amid allegations of patronage and waste, Algonquin Township’s former highway commissioner has since found work at neighboring townships – while collecting a handsome pension from his former employer.

More than a dozen city and park district retirees in Highland Park have received more than $1 million in pension benefits each.

The average lifetime pension benefit among the county’s 20 highest-earning municipal retirees is more than $1.2 million, while their average total retirement contribution is less than $75,000.

Among the 23 former city of Springfield employees who retired at age 50, five have accumulated more than $1 million in pension benefits.

Active Des Plaines Park District pensioners – including two pension millionaires – have put taxpayers on the hook for more than $7.6 million in pension payouts since 1996.

Lake County residents pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation – a burden driven by the growth in pension costs over the last 20 years.