Illinois currently has almost seven thousand units of local government - more than any other state in the nation. This means that services that residents of Illinois receive are often duplicated and inefficient. By supporting so many different levels of local government, we also take the risk of leading into higher property tax burdens for the taxpayers of the State.

In the Senate Executive Committee today, a measure passed that aims to ensure that local governments run more efficiently and at the same time save costs by consolidating their services.

Senate Bill 173 creates a commission that would be responsible for making a list of local governments in Illinois to be consolidated. The Local Government Consolidation Commission would take into account the costs and benefits of each local government, and then determine where cuts and savings could be made.

"The financial burden we face is mounting, and by consolidating these units we will not only save the state money, but we’ll provide more efficient services to our residents," said Senator Terry Link, the bill’s sponsor.

The commission created in the bill is similar to a program the Federal Government uses to ensure that military bases across the U.S. are operating under maximum efficiency. The commission will be constructed of eight people, two appointed from the leaders of each caucus.

Multiple taxing authorities within units of local government do nothing to help the people who live in Illinois. New initiatives must be created to cut waste, but still allow our local governments to operate and serve the people of their communities - and this is a step toward achieving that goal.