Township Reform Pops Up on Illinois Lawmakers’ Radar
Illinois, 1875 -- 25 years after the first township was formed
Townships are feeling the heat.
Increasingly, these often-obscure units of local government—which were spawned in Illinois during the 19th century—are coming under fire from critics and lawmakers who dispute the need for having 1,435 taxpayer-supported townships in 85 of 102 state counties.
A buzz is building against townships in the current General Assembly, so look for some streamlining legislation to come down the pike this spring session.
The township critics’ objective is to pass a law that will pave a way toward getting rid of unnecessary townships or, at least, vastly reduce their number.
While not mentioning townships by name in his inaugural speech this January (see video), Senate President John Cullerton asserted that the time has come to “re-examine the need for so many units of local government that result in higher taxes and less efficiency.”
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