Illinois Municipal League calls for plans restoring local revenue, modernizing public notices

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The organization representing all 1,295 local governments in Illinois wants state lawmakers to help provide critical resources and restore revenue. The group wants to move cities forward by restoring critical tax revenue and modernizing public notices.

The Illinois Municipal League is asking the General Assembly to fully restore the local government distributive fund to allocate 10% of the state's income tax revenues.

State lawmakers helped raise the fund to 6.47% during Fiscal Year 2024. However, local officials told reporters Tuesday that their communities need more state funding or they'll have to raise your property taxes and other fees.

"LGDF revenues are critical for municipalities and services," said Fairview Heights Mayor and IML President Mark Kupsky. "Continued reductions only worsen the financial problems that many municipalities face today, which results in higher taxes for our families."

The payment schedule for public safety pensions is also a top priority for the municipal league. State law requires local governments to contribute 90% of the total actuarial liabilities by the end of Fiscal Year 2040. Although, IML members believe lawmakers should extend the schedule to Fiscal Year 2050.

"Nothing in this proposal reduces pension benefits or takes even one dollar away from the pension a retiree has that they have either earned or will earn," said Champaign Mayor and IML Vice President Deborah Frank Feinen.

The organization is also calling for lawmakers to pass a plan to give local governments the option to post notices on a website instead of paying to have notices printed in newspaper or mail them to residents. Municipalities spend anywhere from $5,000-$100,000 to place notices in newspapers or the mail.

"This proposal would put the information where people are accessing their information these days, which is in an electronic and digital format, such as on their cell phones or on a tablet," said IML CEO Brad Cole.

Municipal leaders would also like to see the General Assembly pass a bill allowing local governments to hold remote meetings without a disaster declaration from the governor or Illinois Department of Public Health.

Many small communities are struggling to fulfill the state's annual financial audit requirements due to the high cost and a shortage of available certified public accountants. IML members are supporting a plan to allow municipalities with a population of 1,000 people or less to complete a financial audit once every four years.

"Senate Bill 2875 will provide immediate financial relief while maintaining financial transparency," Frank Feinen said.

Small communities would be allowed to file an annual report in lieu of an audit report if they filed audits with the Comptroller's office within the past three fiscal years and the municipality had no material findings indicating significant errors or risks in financial information.