SPRINGFIELD – State Senators Tom Cullerton and Suzy Glowiak, joined DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin and representatives of the Transform Illinois coalition on Wednesday to highlight and support proposed legislation limiting the size, scope and cost of local government.

“Government consolidation is one powerful tool we can use to find efficiencies,” Cullerton said. “Transform Illinois continues to be vital in helping lawmakers reduce the government’s footprint without sacrificing services for local residents. I look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner to ensure government evolves with the needs of the people of Illinois.”

Cullerton (D-Villa Park) advanced Senate Bill 1838 on Tuesday, which creates the School District Efficiency Commission to make recommendations on the number of school districts inthe state, optimal enrollment for a school district and where reorganization and realignment of schools districts would be beneficial.

“Property taxes in DuPage County and across the suburbs are crushing residents,” Cullerton said. “The new school funding formula we passed two years ago will help us drive down taxes in our communities by funding schools the right way. The next step is evaluating redundant services at our educational system to eliminate the bureaucratic and outdated organization of school districts.”

Transform Illinois members were joined by lawmakers sponsoring more than 60 bills in the General Assembly’s spring session, aimed at improving local government efficiency, empowering voters to make decisions and increasing transparency and accountability.

“Embracing government consolidation will help save taxpayer dollars,” Glowiak said. “We need to continue to work together to reduce the redundant and outdated layers of government that we have in our state.”

The Transform coalition members noted increased interest in “smarter,” streamlined government services, evidenced by more than 100 pieces of legislation introduced since 2016, creating new opportunities for local government efficiency.

“Illinois has more units of government than any other state in the nation and one of the highest property tax rates,” Cronin said. “What unites our coalition is the notion that too many ‘legacy’ local government systems were created decades ago and they’ve never adapted to the changing times or new technology. But thanks to our Transform Illinois partners and thoughtful lawmakers, efforts to make government service delivery more efficient and effective are taking hold across the state.”

Glowiak and Cullerton look forward to working with Cronin this legislative session to streamline government services and tackle wasteful spending.

OAKBROOK TERRACE – To clarify the numerous property tax reform initiatives introduced this legislative session, State Senator Suzy Glowiak (D-Western Springs) is urging local residents to use available resources to educate themselves on proposals working through the Senate this spring.

“When I talk to residents, their top concern remains high property tax bills,” Glowiak said. “It is vital for residents to know what legislative measures are being considered in Springfield to help their legislators represent their interests.”

Suburban property taxes tend to be high to ensure schools are properly funded. The state has adjusted that model to more fairly direct funding toward schools, which Glowiak believes should result in lower property taxes. In the upcoming April municipal elections, 18 suburban school districts will empower voters to decide the fate of property taxes for the schools through referendums.

“The state funding schools properly should result in property tax savings in Illinois,” Glowiak said. “I’m interested in seeing what local residents decide.”

There are exemptions available for seniors and veterans, but reapplying every year can be burdensome.

“There are new measures that if passed would cut redundant bureaucratic hurdles our seniors and veterans need to repeat every year,” Glowiak said. “We need to continue to look for ways to cut bureaucratic red tape to streamline the process to allow residents to see savings without inessential paperwork.”

The measures introduced in the Senate include:

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WILLOWBROOK– Willowbrook residents may soon have regulations in place to address the public health crisis created by unsafe levels of the cancer-causing chemical, ethylene oxide in the community’s air supply.

State Senator Suzy Glowiak (D-Western Springs) is sponsoring a package of measures that will protect communities like Willowbrook across the 24th State Senate District.

“This bipartisan legislation will guarantee local residents are not only safe from this cancer-causing chemical, but also ensure they’re informed and have the opportunity to share their concerns,” Glowiak said. “The residents of Willowbrook have been courageous advocates in the fight to protect all of us in DuPage County. I would like to thank them for their dedication to safeguarding our neighborhoods for generations to come.”

Glowiak joined the legislation’s sponsor State Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove) in fighting to safeguard not only Willowbrook but all of Illinois from this disastrous public health hazard.

The three measures take a multifaceted approach to address this health crisis:

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LISLE – Freshman Senator Suzy Glowiak held her first bipartisan town hall meeting on Saturday at the Lisle Village Hall, fielding a variety of questions that impact the 24th State Senate District.

Glowiak (D-Western Springs) partnered with legislators representing Lisle to answer questions from a room full of local residents on topics including property tax relief, solving the state’s pension crisis, environmental concerns and fair legislative map redistricting.

“Open forums like this bring people with diverse perspectives together to share input on vital issues that impact our community,” Glowiak said. “I’m honored to serve a district with such active residents that want to work together to make our neighborhoods even better.”

Glowiak was joined by a bipartisan group of legislators that included State Senators John Curran and Laura Ellman and State Representatives Terra Costa Howard and Anne Stava-Murray.

“Government works best when elected officials are in constant communication with constituents,” Glowiak said.

Glowiak urges local residents to stay up-to-date with news in Springfield and the district by signing up for her e-newsletter. She looks forward to hosting additional community events in the coming weeks.