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Letter: Cut government layers

Illinoisans deserve a local government that is efficient, effective and taxpayer friendly. However, that is not possible as long as Illinois continues to have a nation-leading structure of 45 types of local government and almost 9,000 units.

Taxpayers need elected officials who can fix this serious problem, but where are they?

Hundreds of candidates were involved in the November election, none made government consolidation or elimination a campaign issue. Does anyone know why?

Didn't these candidates know people are hurting? Did they care? If Illinois is ever going to be a state that is competitive and viable like Texas, the cost and size of Illinois' government glut can no longer be overlooked.

There are three types of local governments in Texas, a state with 210,605 more square miles than Illinois: county, municipal and special districts.

Illinois has the following governmental units: county, township, municipality, airport authority, township cemetery district, community college district, conservation district, drainage district, electric district, exposition and civic center authority, fire protection district, flood prevention district, forest preserve district, home equity program, hospital district, housing authority, joint action water agency, mass transit district, mosquito abatement district, multitownship tax assessment district, museum district, natural gas agency, park district, planning district, port district, public building commission, public health district, public library district, public water district, rescue squad district, river conservation district, township road and bridge district, road district, sanitary district, school district, soil and water conservation district, solid waste district, special recreation district, street lighting district, surface water district, tuberculosis sanatorium district, water reclamation district, water authority, water commission and water service district.

This represents 8,923 units of local government. Excessive layers of governments are the cause of layered property taxes, bureaucratic redundancies, excessive expenditures, political corruption, abuse of powers and public difficulties to hold officials accountable.

This is a dragon to be slain.

Bob Anderson

Wonder Lake

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