When the Post Office consolidated its services and reduced its sorting / processing centers, did your mail service improve and the cost of postage go down? What happened to banks that were too big to fail? People regularly criticize “big government,” yet seem to think reducing local units of government through consolidation will magically improve service and reduce taxes.
Township government is the oldest existing form of government in North America (1636) and is the form of government that is closest and most responsive to the people it serves.
With the Township form of government, the citizens elect their officials. The only other options available in Illinois are for a County Board to appoint members of a governing board that would replace elected Township officials or the executive form where one person is appointed by the County Board (as in Cook County).
Just looking at the number of taxing bodies and saying: “There are too many taxing bodies in Illinois; we need to consolidate or reduce the number of taxing bodies” does not tell even part of the story.
Townships not only cost-effectively and efficiently provide valuable services for the tax payers they serve, they also have lower debt and higher approval ratings than any other form of government. (See “Local Democracy and the Townships of Illinois: A Report to the People” below.) Eliminating Township government would not do anything toward solving Illinois’ budget and deficit problems. If anything, it would greatly exacerbate the already precarious financial status.
There seems to be a general lack of knowledge among many people about why they should value Township government. Rather than regarding Townships as one of “too many taxing bodies” that should be eliminated, the real question should be “how effectively and efficiently are tax dollars used?”
The information contained in the various articles below will help you gain a better understanding and appreciation for the true value and benefit of Township government.
