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VOTERS SPEAK OUT
At the General Election, voters in McHenry County and DuPage County rejected double-dipping in Illinois. Smart voters.
The ballot question read "Should Illinois Law Permit An Individual To Hold Two Or More Offices Simultaneously?"
Voting results in McHenry County: 133,341 NO VOTES (90.25%)
12,240 yes votes ( 9.75%)
Voting results in DuPage County: 332,657 NO VOTES (90.10%)
36,571 yes votes ( 9.90 %)
The worst offenders of double-dippers in Illinois are township officials. Records reveal many members of the Illinois General Assembly presently are receiving a senator or representative salary, and pension benefits, at the same time they receive a township official salary and pension benefits.
What's next? Because this referendum was only advisory, our work is not yet done. More action by you, the citizen-voter, will be required if double-dipping is to be eliminated.
What can you do? Contact your state representatives and request legislation making holding two or more offices simultaneously illegal.
Also request legislation for a state-wide referendum to eliminate Illinois' 19th century township governments. Townships are outdated and provide the same services as municipal and county governments.
(scroll down for more on abolishing Township Government)
Note: Illinois has 7,000 governments. This is 2,100 more than any other state.
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Abolish Township Government in Illinois?
Invest in government efficiencies, abolish township government in Illinois.
Townships:
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Obsolete
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Inefficient
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Wastes money
Township Government in Illinois was established in the mid-1800's as a local government to serve a rural society of farmers and settlers. Now, in the 21st century, in an urban society, township government has become an extra layer of government and expense.
Illinois township governments help make Illinois, with 7,000 governmental units, the state with the largest number of governments in the nation.
How Illinois' 7000 governments compare with neighboring states :
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Indiana 2,976
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Iowa 1,904
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Wisconsin 2,752
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Ohio 3,534
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Michigan 2,727
One of the ways to reduce the property tax burden would be to eliminate township government. Townships receive 94% of their revenues from property taxes (as compared to city government's 10% and county government's 40%).
Note:
--Illinois has 102 counties. 85 of these have township government; the 17 that do not, are located in the rural and southern part of the state, and instead have county form of government.
--In the United States there are thirty (30) states that do not have township governments. There are no township governments in the southern or western states.
--Since 1902, townships have been inactive in the City of Chicago.
