Study the right numbers on consolidation

In your editorial "A glimpse of progress," your focus is on the number of units of government within Illinois,; encouraging the elimination or consolidation of as many as possible. Should we consolidate units of government if it results in higher costs to the taxpayers? Nowhere in the discussion of consolidation is there a mention of cost savings. Has anyone done a reasonable cost analysis to demonstrate savings? Is bigger government always better?

Few realize that township road districts maintain over 48% of the road miles in Illinois. In general, township road districts are small organizations with little overhead that perform their duties at less expense than the larger municipalities or counties.

I write on behalf of the Northern Illinois Highway Commissioners Association, and each member of the board monitors the expenses of their road district meticulously. If surrounding municipalities or the respective county can perform the work for less, we would fully support the consolidation. All we ask is a fair, unbiased comparison of the work performed and the related costs be performed.

Let's ensure that the taxpayers are receiving the best value for the tax dollars.

Ed Young, President

Northern Illinois Township

Highway Commissioners Association

Lisle