Let's speed up pace of government consolidation

By Dan Cronin

Guest columnist

At this time of year, Illinoisans' thoughts turn to their tax bills. Most of us have just completed our income tax returns and we are either about to, or have already paid the first installment of our property taxes. Many ask, “So what exactly are all of these agencies listed on my property tax bill? I have no idea what some of these groups do!”

You may know that Illinois is home to more units of local government than any other state in the nation; some 7,000. And to support all of this government, we pay the nation's second-highest property tax rate. From Day One of his administration, Gov. Bruce Rauner made local government consolidation a priority. And now, his administration should be applauded for putting forth serious legislative proposals aimed at reducing the size, scope and cost of local government, thus reducing the burden on taxpayers.

Research shows there is a direct correlation between the number of governmental units listed on a property tax bill and the amount of property taxes a homeowner pays. Gov. Rauner knows we can responsibly shrink local government with the General Assembly's help, thus lowering the demand for citizens' tax dollars.

To that end, in 2015, he convened a statewide task force studying local government consolidation, chaired by Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti. One of the task force's recommendations was to follow DuPage County's lead in reducing local government's footprint. Just two years prior in 2013, the Local Government Reduction and Efficiency Act allowed DuPage County to dissolve up to 13 county-appointed agencies. In most cases, the services they provided, if any, could more efficiently be delivered by another government entity for lower cost.

For the past five years in DuPage County, we've used this tool to modernize, streamline and more effectively deliver services to our residents. We've also balanced our budget, kept our county property tax rate flat and retained our AAA bond rating. To date, we've eliminated three county-appointed units of government. Three more are under consideration. But the biggest difference is the change in culture. We've created multiple, sometimes unprecedented collaborations with local, regional, state and federal partners. We've saved DuPage taxpayers a projected $100 million through our Accountability, Consolidation and Transparency initiative. These efforts were closely examined by members of the Governor's Consolidation Task Force and serve as a basis for some of the group's recommendations.

Last week, the Illinois House overwhelmingly passed House Bill 4501 which extends the DuPage model to all 101 other Illinois counties. This gives local leaders the tools they need to decide the level of government they want for their communities. As Gov. Rauner asserts, allowing all Illinois counties to pursue thoughtful streamlining efforts can create more favorable economic conditions throughout Illinois. The path to a more fiscally sound future begins by reducing demand for tax dollars, providing relief Illinois residents desperately need.

Dan Cronin serves as DuPage County Board Chairman and is active in the Transform Illinois coalition, www.transformillinois.org, which aims to cut the size, scope and cost of local government across Illinois.