HJ0065 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0065 LRB099 11873 GRL 33947 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, According to the 2012 Census of Governments, Illinois taxpayers support 6,963 units of government, more than any other state in the nation by more than 1,800 units; and

WHEREAS, The State of Florida, with nearly 6 million more residents than Illinois, sustains only 1,650 units of government; and

WHEREAS, The State of Texas, with 12 million more residents than Illinois, ranks second highest in the nation with 5,147 units, but still maintains 1,816 fewer units of government than Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Many units of government that exist today may no longer be relevant due to the emergence of neighboring units, shifts in population, outdated boundary agreements, and emerging technologies; and

WHEREAS, The overabundance of local governments, and in particular single-purpose units of local government, can contribute to the inefficient use of tax dollars, create redundancy, foster a lack of transparency and accountability, discourage citizens from fully engaging in the democratic process, and lead to the misallocation of vital resources; and

WHEREAS, Illinois residents, who pay the second highest property taxes in the nation, may be disproportionately burdened as a result of the number of units of local government and the taxes required to support this bureaucracy; and

WHEREAS, Through the utilization of greater cooperation, collaboration, partnerships, and shared services, more efficient local service delivery models can be identified; and

WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of Illinois citizens to transform our government into a 21st century model of effective governance, removing unnecessary layers that create excessive burdens on taxpayers and lessen accountability; and

WHEREAS, Elected officials of this State have a duty to enhance the coordination of services between units of government on behalf of the citizens they represent through constant examination that ensures accountable, effective, and efficient practices; and

WHEREAS, The 97th General Assembly adopted the Local Government Consolidation Commission Act and established the Local Government Consolidation Commission to investigate the structure of local governments in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The Local Government Consolidation Commission concluded that there are a number of duplicative units of government in Illinois and that the State should investigate ways to encourage greater intergovernmental cooperation among units and lessen the burden of unfunded mandates; and

WHEREAS, In February of 2015, Governor Rauner signed Executive Order 15-15 forming the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Sanguinetti, to study issues of local government and school district consolidation and redundancy and to make recommendations that will ensure accountable and efficient government and education in the State of Illinois by the end of 2015; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we acknowledge that the current size, scope and cost of local government in Illinois may overburden taxpayers, negatively impact our economy, discourage civic engagement, reduce transparency, and impair the efficient delivery of public services; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support efforts to examine the existing landscape of local and State government to determine how more effective and efficient models can be developed; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support efforts to improve the quality, cost, and accountability of government services at all levels through cooperation, collaboration, partnerships, shared services, and, if appropriate, through the consolidation or elimination of government agencies; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we support efforts to eliminate the duplication of services and to enact measures that will streamline government operations across the State.