The Illinois Municipal League recently completed a Strategic Planning process in an effort to better address ourselves to the next five years. The process which began in early 1990 with a survey of the membership evolved into the Board of Directors substantially reviewing the data and charting a course for the future. That plan of action adopted by the membership at the Annual Conference established goals to be accomplished. The goals as adopted are the following.

• To improve legislative consensus development process.

• To change the image of the IML with the General Assembly, from special interest group to local service providers.

• To establish or review policy statements on a timely basis.

• To increase membership participation in lobbying.

• To take proactive role in legislative matters.

• To maintain high level of member services, with emphasis on changing needs of municipal officials.

• To maintain unity of purpose in the midst of a diverse membership.

• To provide leadership to strengthen IML's partnership with local, regional and statewide governmental associations and to assist in enhancing local government performance.

• To increase the awareness of the public, news media and state officials of municipal governments' strengths, concerns and issues.

The goals strongly reinforce the need for legislative activities. In particular you will note that one of the goals is "to increase membership participation in lobbying". To implement this goal the League will need your efforts and the efforts of a strong legislative committee. The League staff is preparing a detailed plan that anticipates a member of the legislative committee actually being a district organizer and lobbyist.

Are you willing to take time to call, see or write to the Senator or Representative in your Senate district explaining the Illinois Municipal League's position? Contact the League and express your interest.

Once appointed you are Bi-partisan, you represent your municipality and municipal government in Illinois. This is a time and effort commitment. You will be re-appointed each year based on your ability to provide the necessary time to this program. It will not be simple but our mutual efforts will produce results.

Your League staff will continue to be in daily contact with the General Assembly. The staff will do the leg work and provide timely information. That information in the hands of the forty-nine legislative committee members will then be transmitted back to Springfield in a "grass-roots" lobbying effort. The League will still publish weekly legislative bulletins. The new charge of the legislative committee is to be involved and charge up the troops in the field. Once successfully implemented, you as local officials and staff should never hear from the members of the General Assembly that, "No one talked to me about that issue".

You will note another of the goals is "to change the image of the IML with the General Assembly, from a special interest group to local service providers". The strategy is to build the role of the legislative committee and the membership so that we provide important information and insight into local government. The membership represents municpal citizens not a special interest group.

November 1990 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5