League of Women Voters Talk Taxes and Townships

The Palatine Area League of Women Voters hosted local government experts Shannon Sohl PhD, CPA and Norman Walzer Ph.D, from Northern Illinois University’s Center for Government Studies, for a public discussion on townships as a unit of government, the services provided, and their affect on resident’s tax bills on July 18th. Laura Davis said "As a nonpartisan, political organization whose mission is to encourage informed and active participation in government, increase understanding of major policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy, the League felt the following highlights were worthy of broader dissemination and community conversation."

Shannon Sohl stated that while many might be surprised to know that Illinois currently has more units of government than any other state in the country, with between 7,000 to 8,529 dependent on the reporting agency. Illinois outranks both Texas and California and has nearly twice as many as any of the neighboring states in the Midwest. She stressed that all of these governmental entities put pressure on local property taxes, ranking Illinois second in the country to the state of New Jersey for the highest effective property tax rate (USA Today, April 16, 2017). Given the fiscal condition and tax structure in Illinois, the current structure is not sustainable reported Ms. Sohl.

Demographic trends in Illinois show the state’s population is aging, with proportionate reductions in the number of school age children and shrinking numbers of working adults. These trends contribute to rising costs of public services. Data from 1992 to 2012 shows Illinois experienced a 23.8% increase over the decade in operating expenditures per capita. This compares to Indiana at 12.6% and Wisconsin at 17.5% over the same timeframe.

Townships in Illinois started in 1850, predating municipalities. Townships and road/bridge districts constitute nearly 40% of total local governments in the state today. Initially townships served three primary purposes: roads/bridges, property assessment, and assistance for the poor. However, township’s authority has expanded with urbanization, becoming more general-purpose governments and adding many new programs.

Recent legislation has been introduced to allow voters to consolidate units of government, including the possibility of sharing services, dissolving, merging or consolidating local units of government. Steps to do so should balance the overall local objective of providing the highest quality of affordable service at the lowest cost, particularly where it impacts property taxes.

A new tool will soon be available to allow analysis of local governments by residents who have interest in weighing the options. The Local Efficiency Assessment Planning (LEAP) tool will help to create an action plan for high quality public services and offer adjustments in revenue structures as needed. Outcomes of LEAP are to evaluate current public service delivery approaches, engage residents and public officials in the planning process, and drive consensus among local participants for needed changes. The speakers stressed that the current situation is unsustainable, but options are available.

The LWV-Palatine Area began a study of townships last year. If you have interest in learning more about or becoming involved in this work, contact the League at lwvpalatinearea@gmail.com. For a list of other programs and community discussions hosted by the LWV-Palatine, go to www.lwvpalatinearea.org.

League of Women Voters, one of the most respected and effective grassroots organizations in the country, is a nonpartisan, political organization whose mission is to encourage informed and active participation in government; to increase understanding of major policy issues; and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in League is open to any citizen over the age of 16, regardless of gender, race, or ethnic group. Our members make a visible difference by serving as community leaders who use their experience to create positive, lasting change in our communities.