Cronin: Lean times coming for local government
In the face of the state's fiscal crisis and current budget impasse, local governments should be prepared for less state money, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said Wednesday.
"There's an incentive for local governments to be more efficient then because the new normal is going to be leaner," Cronin said.
Cronin joined better government advocates and suburban lawmakers in Springfield on Wednesday to push for legislation that would make government consolidation easier.
The proposals vary from the specific, such as a law to dissolve the Round Lake Sanitary District in Lake County, to more sweeping measures, such as a bill to allow residents to vote to dissolve some units of local government as early as the next general election.
"What I think we're all trying to do is to get together to empower the locals to let them have the opportunity to transform their government as they want it," said state Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat. "Because right now they don't have the ability to do so."
Gov. Bruce Rauner has made local government consolidation a priority, as well. But critics say the focus should remain on the state budget woes.