Editorial: Big issues face suburbs in 2015
With elections for state offices over, we in the suburbs can narrow our focus a bit to the local elections coming in April and the important issues those campaigns will put on the table. Right?
Actually, that's only partly the case.
Who we as voters select to run our schools, libraries, park districts and towns is critically important, of course. The board members we elect will hold the very identity and futures of our suburbs in their hands, deciding how our kids are taught, what our towns look like, how safe we are, how much open space we have and what programs are available to enhance our families' lives.
Considering all this, on Sunday, we urged everyone to make a point of getting to know local candidates' backgrounds, funding sources and positions on the issues as we head into 2015. To engage and vote in the coming local elections. But that's not the whole story on monitoring the government actions that will affect you in the suburbs next year.
A big battle over funding is sure to be brewing at the state level, and that has a strong likelihood of affecting suburban services and schools. While you might be fatigued by the barrage of candidate overexposure from the statewide elections in the fall, it's wise not to let your attention wander from what will be going on in Springfield during the legislative session that begins in January and is scheduled to end May 31.
Some of the issues to watch:
• Taxes. The state share drops Jan. 1, from 5 percent to 3.75 percent, meaning a few more dollars in your paycheck every month. That's good news. But it'll cut state revenue by up to $2 billion for the second half of the current fiscal year and $4 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1. If Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner doesn't come up with new funding sources, like the tax on services he proposed during the campaign, he and the legislature might face the prospect of sharp cutbacks that could devolve into regional battles among the suburbs, Chicago and downstate.
• State and school pensions. The perennial topic could come to a head in 2015, when the Illinois Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of cuts to retirement benefits for teachers and other state workers. If the court strikes down the law cutting benefits, Rauner and lawmakers will have to find new ways to address $111 billion in pension debt, and you can expect even more intense squabbles over how the state's dwindling funds are spread among schools, health care, prisons and other state services.
• Other public employee retirement programs. Many towns are struggling with the rising costs of public safety pensions at a time when revenues have stagnated. Mayors and councils will face tough decisions to balance the costs of the promised benefits against other municipal needs.
Chances are you'll be affected - possibly for years to come - by how decisions about issues like these play out. To weigh in, keep informed about upcoming local elections as campaigns get under way. And keep in touch with your state legislators. Check www.elections.il.gov to find how to contact them.