NWMC Unveils 2015 Legislative Program
Des Plaines, IL - On Saturday, January 24, Governor Bruce Rauner attended the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) Legislative Brunch at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook to detail his view of Illinois' challenges and place a call to action on local governments. Rauner's appearance marked the first time that a governor has attended the annual brunch and addressed the NWMC membership.
The governor outlined the state's ongoing fiscal challenges and the difficulties that lie ahead. He called on the one hundred and sixty-three NWMC members, legislators and guests in attendance to work with his administration to improve the state's economy and streamline government operations. He requested that "we work as partners...starting now. Please communicate with us now; with issues you see where we can make the government process more effective."
The event also served to introduce the NWMC's 2015 Legislative Program. "As we start a new legislative session, state and local officials face nearly identical challenges," said NWMC President and Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. "We must balance budgets while facing escalating pension obligations. We must contain the cost of government while providing quality public services. We must invest in our critical infrastructure." The 2015 NWMC Legislative Program outlines a roadmap of solutions to ensure the economic vitality of state and local governments.
NWMC Vice-President and Buffalo Grove Village President Jeffrey Braiman presented the message of ensuring that local governments have sufficient revenues to provide quality public services. "In the face of declining revenues, our communities have already shared the pain and made tough decisions. The average NWMC community has eliminated more than ten percent of positions, with some municipalities cutting up to one third of their staff," he noted. The legislative program calls for the continued protection of local government revenues, specifically the Local Government Distributive Fund, from being diverted to balance the state's budget.
NWMC Legislative Committee co-chair and Des Plaines Mayor Matt Bogusz said, "our state will find it nearly impossible to grow our economy if government costs are prohibitive to the point where they repel, rather than attract, job creators and skilled workers." In order to ensure a pro-growth environment that reduces the burden on local taxpayers, the legislative program calls for reforms to inefficient public safety pension systems and burdensome labor regulations.
Finally, NWMC Legislative Committee co-chair and Northbrook Village President Sandy Frum called on federal and state legislators to ensure the sustainability of critical infrastructure through strategic and increased investment. She said that "roadways are congested, bridges are closed or load-rated, trains are delayed, buses break down and transit serves fewer of the region's population. Illinois' economic future depends on our ability to get our people to work and our goods to market."
About the NWMC
Over the past 56 years, the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) has worked to strengthen communities and enhance intergovernmental relationships in the north and northwest suburbs of Chicago. The NWMC represents over 1.3 million citizens residing in our 44 municipalities and 1 township in the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry. To view the full 2015 NWMC Legislative Program, please visit http://www.nwmc-cog.org/
# # #
