Thanks to legislation co-sponsored by state Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Round Lake Beach), the wait for Avon Township to eliminate its road district, levied at $2 million, is almost over, according to the Better Government Association (BGA).
House Bill 0607, a statewide measure easing restrictions on how communities can end such districts, was championed by Yingling, who has served as Avon’s supervisor, and 16 other legislators. It will officially take effect on Jan. 1, according to Illinois General Assembly’s website.
The old rules allowed local governments to cancel the districts if they were 4 miles or less in length. The new law allows townships with fewer than 3 million inhabitants to dissolve them via ballot measures.
Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Round Lake Beach)
Yingling first noticed Avon’s 11-mile stretch of district roadway as the township’s supervisor in 2010, according to the BGA.
Yingling said the districts “are the lifeblood in moving agricultural goods to and from the market,” but he called for more flexibility to meet Illinois’ modern blend of urban and rural communities, the BGA reported.
So far, neighboring Vernon Township is among the first to target its road district under the new law and will have a measure to do so on the November ballot, according to the article on BGA.org.
“I’m working on it,” Yingling said in the story. “It’s amazing to me how long these things take.”
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