Director's Desk     KENNETH A. ALDERSON, Executive Director

On July 20, 1996, the Illinois Municipal League Board of Directors met and a decision was made to continue the unfunded state mandates effort. The future of local government is at a crossroads with the federal devolution and restrictions on local tax revenues via property tax caps. The past and recent actions of the federal and state governments clearly illustrates to local officials that mandates will continue to come without funding and basically no regard for how local officials are to pay for the cost.

The Board of Directors and staff of the League will continue to work with local municipal officials to make unfunded state mandates a key issue for the next General Assembly. The League will be preparing materials for your use to take the message to citizens, and more importantly, to candidates running for the Illinois State Senate and House of Representatives. It is imperative that before a new General Assembly is elected candidates publicly indicate their position on stopping unfunded state mandates.

The Municipal League will be forwarding informational materials to your municipality. The overall strategy is to work on meaningful changes to the State Mandates Act in 1997 and seek passage of a Constitutional Amendment in 1998. The effort to accomplish these goals will only be successful if we continue to work together and encourage citizen participation.

While many municipal officials are extremely disappointed the Unfunded State Mandates Constitutional Amendment did not pass both chambers in identical form, this is not the time to give up on the issue. We must view the success we did have as having taken a giant step forward, and we will continue to strive, step by step, until we accomplish our mutual goals. •

August 1996 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5