Report: Suburbs spending more on lobbying

SPRINGFIELD — Local officials are spending more tax money to pay for lobbyists in Springfield, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform reported Thursday.

The report examined lobbying contracts from governments throughout the state from July 2009 through June 2010, showing an increase in lobbying spending of $845,000 over the previous report.

The biggest spender was the Regional Transportation Authority and its boards — CTA, Metra and Pace — which spent more than $1 million in the year lobbying lawmakers, the governor and other state officials.

ICPR officials obtained the lobbying contracts through the Freedom of Information Act, but the law doesn't require making available the lobbying contracts of private companies who have a big stake in swaying government decisions.

“The information gathered in this survey gives the public a better picture of how public dollars are used to monitor and lobby state government,” said ICPR deputy Director David Morrison, “but state lobbying regulations reveal next to nothing about much larger lobbying budgets of corporations, unions and others with lobbyists in Springfield.”

Here's what suburban governments spent on lobbying in Springfield from July 2009 through June 2010.

Village of Addison: $25,000

Village of Antioch: $49,000

Aurora Civic Center Authority: $3,193

City of Aurora: $91,000

Village of Bartlett: $24,000

Village of Bolingbrook: $36,000

College of Lake County: $35,175

Cook County Board: $65,000

Cook County Clerk: $50,063

City of Des Plaines: $60,000

Village of Downers Grove: $27,000

DuPage County: $145,833

DuPage County Election Commission: $39,000

DuPage County Forest Preserve: $15,000

DuPage County Health Department: $96,000

DuPage County State's Attorney: $43,000

City of Elgin: $36,666

Village of Glendale Heights: $36,500

Hanover Park Park District: $10,000

Harper College: $72,500

Village of Hoffman Estates: $60,000

Village of Huntley: $60,242

Illinois State Toll Highway Authority: $82,000

Village of Johnsburg: $8,000

Kane County: $54,583

Kane County Forest Preserve District: $12,000

Village of Lake Barrington: $24,000

Lake County: $47,114

Village of Lombard: $48,000

Village of Long Grove: $18,000

Metra: $304,336

City of Naperville: $60,000

Pace: $152,000

Regional Transportation Authority: $191,751

Schaumburg Township Highway Department: $18,000

Solid Waste Agency of Lake County; $33,000

Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County: $10,000

University Center of Lake County: $24,000

Village of Vernon Hills: $48,000

City of West Chicago: $54,000

West Cook County Solid Waste Agency: $24,000

Wheaton Park District: $48,000

Will County: $56,500

City of Zion: $4,833