You’d expect a state with fewer people after eight consecutive years of population loss would need less government. Wrong: Illinois has more government than any other state.
Even excluding its 859 school districts, Illinois has 6,032 local government units. No other state is even close. Texas is No. 2, but has over twice as many people with 1,762 fewer local governments.
Townships and municipalities are the most common governments. The rest are special units such as museum districts, mosquito abatement districts, and tuberculosis sanitation districts.
California’s population is three times Illinois’ but has nearly 2,600 fewer government units.
Some Illinoisans live within a township and a municipality that have nearly identical boundaries and services. Consolidation can save taxpayers’ dollars and prevent corruption in the process.
Read on here.
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