Director's Desk KENNETH A. ALDERSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
On February 28, the Illinois Municipal League
kicked off its legislative effort to pass a Constitutional
Amendment to limit unfunded state mandates with a
State House news conference in Springfield.
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IML President Greg Sparrow kicked off the Unfunded Mandates
news conference. Standing L to R are Ted Flickinger, Executive
Director of the Illinois Association of Park Districts, Sen. Chris Lauzen, Sen. Todd Sieben, Sen. Denny Jacobs, Assistant Senate Majority
Leader Frank Watson, President Sparrow, IML Executive Director
Kenneth A. Alderson, Sherman Village President Frank Meredith,
Sen Adeline Geo-Karis, Peoria Heights Village President Ray Picl
and Vandalia Mayor Rich Walker.
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Six Senate sponsors of SJRCA 76, Assistant Majority
Leader Frank Watson (R-55), Peter Fitzgerald (R-27),
Denny Jacobs (U-36), Todd Sieben (R-37), Adeline
Geo-Karis (R-31), and Babe Woodyard (R-53) participated in the event. Mayors attending included De Kalb
Mayor and IML President Greg Sparrow, Ashton Village President Ray Forney, Galesburg Mayor Fred
Kimble, Peoria Heights Mayor Ray Pici, Sherman Village President Frank Meredith, Vandalia Mayor Rich
Walker, Jacksonville Mayor Ron Tendick, Macomb
Mayor Tom Carper and Salem Mayor Leonard Ferguson.
Other local officials participating included Christine Wilson, Executive Director, Will County Governmental League; Bob Ray, President of the United
Counties Council; John Killam, Illinois Association of
County Board Members; Leonard Unes, Peoria City
Council; Cap O'Keefe, President, Township Officials
of Illinois; Ed Stasiewicz, Legislative Director, Township Officials of Illinois; Ted Flickinger, Executive Director, Illinois Association of Park Districts; Peter
Murphy, Legal Counsel, Illinois Association of Park
Districts; Stan Morgan, Past President, Illinois Association of School Boards; Dr. Bruce Larsen, President,
Illinois Association of Park Districts; Mike Monahan of
the Community College Trustees; and Paul Bitschenauer, Executive Secretary of the Illinois Association of
County Board Members.
"Today signifies a new era in state-local relations,"
said Senator Watson. "SJRCA 76 will help return local
decision-making to the local level where it belongs," he
said.
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A large group of Senate sponsors. Mayors, local government association heads, other local officials and the media attend the State House
news conference.
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This news conference was just one of a flurry of
unfunded mandates related activities scheduled for the
coming weeks. By the time you read this, a direct mail
piece will have been distributed to all media in the state.
Radio and television ads will begin airing this month.
On March 15, a series of 11 regional news conferences
will be held across the state beginning in Carbondale.
On March 28, "Unfunded Mandates Day" will be held
in Springfield on our traditional lobby day, to focus
attention on this important issue.
We continue to need your active support and participation to make these events successful. Read your Legislative Bulletin to stay informed of late breaking developments. Inform your citizens and other local officials of the unfunded mandates effort. Contact your
legislators and request their support of SJRCA 76. Participate in the news conference in your area or schedule
your own, and plan to attend and participate in Unfunded Mandates Day activities. Please act immediately. •
March 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5
