Illinois House passes bill to allow residents to dissolve townships
Illinois has nearly 7,000 units of local government – around 1,400 of those are townships.
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…
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 from both parties signed on as co-sponsors. HB 496 passed the House 111-2. The only lawmakers who voted against the bill were state Reps. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, and Lawrence Walsh, D-Elwood.
If the Senate passes HB 496 and Gov. Bruce Rauner signs the bill into law, residents of townships that are coterminous or substantially coterminous with a municipality will have the right to put township dissolution referendums on the ballot. For a referendum to dissolve a township to make it on the ballot, the township’s city council would have to pass an ordinance or 10 percent of the registered voters of that township would have to sign a petition. If the voters approved the dissolution of a township, the municipality would take over the services, duties, assets and liabilities of the township.
State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, sponsored House Bill 496, which received bipartisan support – more than a dozen representatives from both parties signed on as co-sponsors. HB 496 passed the House 111-2. The only lawmakers who voted against the bill were state Reps. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, and Lawrence Walsh, D-Elwood.
If the Senate passes HB 496 and Gov. Bruce Rauner signs the bill into law, residents of townships that are coterminous or substantially coterminous with a municipality will have the right to put township dissolution referendums on the ballot. For a referendum to dissolve a township to make it on the ballot, the township’s city council would have to pass an ordinance or 10 percent of the registered voters of that township would have to sign a petition. If the voters approved the dissolution of a township, the municipality would take over the services, duties, assets and liabilities of the township.
Too many local governments drive up Illinois property taxes
