By THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
A nonpartisan political organization, the League's purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League's position on townships was written in this article by Shirley R. Keller, president, LWV of Cook County, and Ann F. Scollay, township coordinator.
THE LEAGUE of Women Voters (LWV) of Illinois supports the elimination of townships with transfer of their functions to general purpose governments — counties and/or municipalities.
Under the 1870 Constitution, Illinois established more local governments (6,600) than any other state. The framers of the 1970 Constitution recognized the need for reform and made provisions to improve and strengthen counties and municipalities, reducing the need for other governmental units which unnecessarily burden the taxpayer. Intergovernmental agreement, differential taxation, and new special assessment powers for counties offer an opportunity to improve services, provide equity in taxation, and reduce the cost of local government.
Counties have responsibility for state services performed for other local government units: assessment of property, collection and distribution of taxes and conduct of elections. They also have primary responsibility for municipal services to unincorporated areas. Townships, established in 1848 as subdivisions of the county, performed these functions locally.
In 1840, only 2 per cent of the Illinois population lived in a municipality; today the figure is 83 per cent. Cities and villages (municipalities) serve as the closest local government and provide basic governmental services for their residents. Modern communications, transportation and technology have diminished the need for townships. At present there are 1,433 townships in Illinois, an average of 17 per county, each with elected officials (up to nine per township), offices, staff, garages and equipment.
The 1970 Constitution transformed townships into "units of local government.... which exercise limited governmental powers," permitting them to be formed, consolidated or disolved by referendum. Services can better be provided by general purpose governments.
For example, utilization of township assessors results in unequal treatment of taxpayers, units of local government and school districts. Each of the 1,403 township assessors, usually untrained, has his own procedure and policy. Township assessors are elected and, therefore, are virtually autonomous. Assessments are so varied that multipliers are used among townships within a county, as well as between counties, to attempt to achieve uniform valuation statewide. The state should establish assessment standards to be enforced by the county supervisor of assessments. Since the number, location, and complexity of property parcels varies within each county, professionally trained staff should be employed and assigned by the county assessor as needed. Township assessors should be eliminated along with the cumbersome, inequitable assessment procedures they employ.
The township maintains residential roads in the unincorporated areas but taxes all township residents. One-half the road and bridge taxes collected within a municipality reverts to that municipality. Municipal residents pay for unincorporated streets as well as for their own streets. There is no such reciprocal payment by residents of unincorporated areas. Counties, by using differential taxation and special assessments, can provide for road maintenance or other municipal services to the unincorporated areas more equitably. The cost of government can be reduced by eliminating unnecessary township buildings, equipment and staff.
Townships provide general assistance — short-term emergency aid to the needy. Of the 1,433 townships, only 38 by virtue of a one mill tax levy and acceptance of state aid, follow uniform eligibility and payment standards. Standards in the remaining 1,395 townships are set arbitrarily by township supervisors, resulting in wide disparities in eligibility and levels of aid. Low case loads preclude professional services; administrative costs equal or exceed the cost of the aid rendered. The state should establish minimum standards to assure due process to recipients. Municipalities and/or counties can provide emergency aid locally based upon the cost-effectiveness ratio.
The federal revenue sharing legislation (State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972) designates Illinois townships as recipients of revenue sharing (GRS) diverting funds from counties and municipalities who have the need for and the statutory authority to expend the monies.
Municipalities and counties have broad grants of legislative power but receive less money proportionately than townships. The 20 per cent floor gives townships from 20 to 50 percent of their budgets, municipalities only 2 to 6 per cent. Lower income citizens in Chicago are deprived of township level allocations since Chicago's townships are inactive.
Because townships are not general governments in Illinois, it became necessary for the legislature to grant townships the power to spend GRS. The legislation provides expenditures be made by contractural agreement with other units of government, other programs limited by their statutory authority, and by contract with existing not-for-profit organizations. In effect, an unnecessary third level of general government has been created.
The LWV seeks an orderly realignment of local government to make it more economical, responsive, visible and efficient. The League advocates the elimination of townships, and the strengthening of counties and municipalities.
July 1975/Illinois Issues/209