Streamlining Government in Illinois

4/14/25

The Chicago Tribune published a letter to the editor from LWVIL President Becky Simon on Sunday, April 13 in response to a recent call for consolidation of Illinois local governments.

Streamlining government

Consolidation of Governmental Units and Sharing of Major Governmental Services

The April 6 OpEd, “It’s time to slash the number of Illinois local governments” written by Joe Ferguson of the Civic Federation of Chicago and David Greising of the Better Government Association, caught our attention.

The League of Women Voters of Illinois supports the efficient and effective operation of government. Consolidation or dissolution of governmental units and the sharing of major governmental services can be a way of promoting the efficient and effective operation of government. In achieving this goal, the League supports a cooperative and transparent process, in which citizens have sufficient and timely information with which to make informed decisions about proposed actions, and well-defined channels for citizen input and review.  Administrative and fiscal efficiency should be included in the criteria by which local governments consider whether to consolidate or share major services.

In determining whether to support a consolidation/ shared services proposal as a way of making government more efficient and effective,  the following criteria should be applied. While it is not necessary that each standard be met, the League recognizes that these standards represent potential benefits of consolidation, leading to more efficient and effective government:

  • Will the proposal result in projected cost savings and a positive effect on taxes over the long term;

  • Will the proposal either result in an increased quality and/or efficiency of services or, at a minimum, maintain services at existing levels;

  • Will the proposal fairly address disparities in employee contracts;

  • Will the proposal result in increased social and economic justice;

  • Will the proposal result in a reduction in the number of governmental entities?

Becky Simon, President
League of Women Voters of Illinois

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