On April 19 and 20, I will be leading a group of Mayors to Springfield to meet with the Governor and to lobby State Legislative leaders regarding the restoration of “LGDF” or the Local Government Distributive Fund. I feel it is important to share this information with all of our Darien residents regarding this effort, and to ask all of you to become involved by contacting your local State Senator (Curran) and State Representatives (Egofske and Stava-Murray) asking them to support Senate Bill 180 and House Bill 1116.
In addition to warmer spring weather, tax season is a common subject of discussion at this time of year. As Tax Day approaches on April 18, Darien is joining forces with cities, villages, and counties across the state to urge state lawmakers to Invest In Communities by returning a greater portion of your taxes back where they belong, right here in our community.
What does that mean? When the State income tax was established more than 50 years ago, it was agreed that a portion of it should be returned to each community based on population. In the State budget, this funding is known as the Local Government Distributive Fund, or LGDF.
LGDF is an important revenue source for every local government in the state, not only because it is stable and reliable year after year, but because each community can use it wherever it is most needed to stabilize and improve the community. In Darien, LGDF makes up 14 % of our annual operating budget.
But here’s the problem: in 2011, the State decreased the portion of income taxes that is returned to our community from LGDF. Rather than 10% of income taxes, Illinois lawmakers have allocated just over 6% to local governments in recent years.
Across the state, over the last 11 years, municipalities and counties have lost out on more than $8 billion (Darien has lost over $14 million) that could be used in lieu of property taxes or other revenues to replace lead service lines, train police officers, buy equipment for first responders, pay down public safety pension obligations, improve or repair infrastructure projects, and more. Our LGDF fact sheet shows the impact of this loss in our community and the importance of restoring this critical source of local funding.
With the State’s financial condition the healthiest it has been in decades, now is the time for the General Assembly to prioritize funding for infrastructure, public safety, and community services in all Illinois communities by restoring LGDF. In Darien, additional funding could mean monies toward police pensions or body cameras for our officers without needing to cut funding to other services provided by the city.
As Illinois lawmakers prepare this year’s State Budget, Mayor Marchese, President of DMMC and other local government leaders are urging the General Assembly to Invest In Communities and restore the Local Government Distributive Fund to 10%. Visit InvestInCommunities.org to learn more and make your voice heard by contacting your state legislators and posting on social media using #InvestInCommunities.