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Illinois, land of 8,500 units of local government, by far, the most in the nation! This is extreme tax waste, which DOES NOT need to be on the backs of over-taxed families.
Example one: Stark County’s population of just 5,000 encompasses all or parts of 40 taxing districts, about one for every 125 citizens.
Example two: Dolton residents pay taxes to the village, Thornton Township, Thornton Township Road District, as well as a park district, a public library, a water reclamation district, a forest preserve, a mosquito abatement district, five school districts, a community college district and Cook County.
Fact: Layers upon layers of unnecessary layers of government are draining taxpayers dry. Note: Illinois has the highest overall tax burden of all 50 states.
Forty-six states function with fewer than 2,500 units of local government.
How does Illinois compare with these 46 states? If Illinois eliminated 5,000 units of local government, it would still have 1,000 more units than 46 states!
Illinoisans are forced to fund a nation leading local government system designed for the 1800s, a bygone era. Travel is now by car, not horse and buggy.
Members of Illinois’ General Assembly, you have ignored the inefficient and tax costly excessive 8,500 local government problem far too long. I have an idea for you. Make government consolidation a priority, doing away with the township form of government should be at the top of the list. Townships are antiquated, spend a lot of money and are full of blatant examples of cronyism, nepotism, patronage and tax-waste.
Bob Anderson