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What Illinois can learn from other states about supporting careful local government consolidation

Increased coordination and partnership across local governments in Illinois would make our communities more resilient in the future. As of April 2018, Illinois has 8,529 units of local government, according to estimates by the State of Illinois comptroller, more than any other state. The presence of many smaller local governments may lead to more local participation and transparency. However, when many small, adjacent jurisdictions provide the same services, the results also can be higher costs and confusion for residents. In addition, the region’s local governments face revenue constraints driven by decreasing state and federal support. These conditions drive decreased capacity to provide services, lower staffing levels, and a backlog of infrastructure needs.

In their efforts to improve governance and service delivery, local governments in northeastern Illinois have long had a culture of creating partnerships. Many governments, including counties, townships, municipalities, school districts, and special districts, have found ways to share the cost of services or purchases, or in some cases, to consolidate units of local government. The State of Illinois should provide more support for local partnership efforts, as other states have seen the benefits of providing technical and financial incentives.

ON TO 2050, recommends encouraging partnerships for consolidating services or units of government based on the potential benefits, such as improved capacity and resources, greater efficiency, enhanced service quality, and cost savings. Such partnerships would allow communities access to professional staff and higher quality services than many smaller governments could provide on their own. The savings would potentially allow local governments to reduce costs or fund critical staff positions that enhance service. As part of implementing this recommendation, ON TO 2050 proposes that the State provide funding to local governments for service sharing and consolidation feasibility studies. This analysis explains the need for a program in Illinois, and provides case studies of four other states’ programs.