Economos: It’s Time to Sunset Illinois’ Bloated Bureaucracy

By James P. Economos DDS, Opinion Contributor

Illinois is home to an astonishing number of government bodies – nearly 7,000 in total, the most of any state in the nation. According to the most recent Census data available (2017), Illinois had 6,963 units of government. By comparison, Texas had 5,343, Pennsylvania 4,897, California 4,425, and Florida just 1,650.

Why does this matter? Because every unit of government comes with its own bureaucracy, budget, and tax levy. That means more layers of inefficiency and a heavier burden on taxpayers.

Florida provides a model worth following. The Sunshine State has “sunset provisions,” which automatically eliminate agencies unless they are renewed. If a government body outlives its usefulness, it disappears – and so do the costs of maintaining it. Illinois desperately needs the same reform.

We’ve seen that this approach works. Take the Suburban Cook County Tuberculosis Sanitarium District. Created in 1947, it once operated four facilities with a $7 million annual budget. But by the time it was dissolved in 2006, the district was serving only 44 people – while sitting on a $30 million surplus. Even worse, it continued taking the maximum tax increase every year, simply because it could. In Illinois, taxing bodies can raise levies by up to 5% without a referendum. That cap should be 1%, not 5%.

It took the efforts of former Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica and the Civic Federation to finally abolish the district, returning its $30 million in excess funds to the county. This is proof that eliminating redundant or outdated government entities can provide real relief to taxpayers.

The lesson is clear: Illinois must streamline its bloated bureaucracy. Beyond obsolete districts like the sanitarium, the state has an excessive number of school districts and other taxing bodies that drive up costs without improving services. Reducing their number through consolidation or sunset provisions would ease the crushing tax burden on Illinois residents.

Illinoisans deserve efficient government – not endless layers of waste.