Lawmakers in Springfield passed legislation that could soon leave some McHenry County residents with less government bureaucracy to deal with.
Both the House and the Senate voted in favor of legislation introduced by state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) that could make it easier for voters to dissolve townships they deem to be unnecessary.
House Bill 4637 allows voters to begin the process of eliminating any of McHenry County’s 17 townships through a referendum process that first requires them to submit a petition with signatures equaling at least 5 percent of the number of voters in a previous comparable election.
Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills)
Trustees in any township may also jumpstart the process by submitting a resolution calling for a referendum of dissolution. In either case, all that is required for abolishment is a majority vote from residents.
McSweeney said he wants to make things better for local taxpayers.
“The key to lowering property taxes is eliminating any redundant layers of government that exist among the nearly 7,000 taxing bodies functioning in Illinois,” he said in a press release. “Taxpayers should have more tools at their disposal to make determinations about how to scale back government bodies and bring down costs."
The bill was backed in the senate by Sen. Terry Link (D-Gurnee), ultimately passing there by a 33-16 vote. The legislation will now be sent to the governor.
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