State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) says goverment consolidation is best handled locally. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Jason Barickman)
By Greg Halbleib
Despite more than 7,000 governmental units in Illinois, a local lawmaker says sometimes there are good reasons for being slow to consolidate them.
Republican State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington tells WJBC’s Scott Laughlin that local taxpayers should be able to decide what units of goverment they’re willing to support. He points to the health departments in Ford and Iroquois counties that formerly were one unit but split after a financial scandal:
“If the taxpayers of the county want them organized in one way or the other, as long as they’re delivering the health services that we prescribe as required by law, I think we need to be very cautious about stepping on those local toes,” said Barickman. “What is it about Springfield that we know better than what’s happening locally?”
Barickman says often local school districts pay more to stay separate and they should be allowed that option.
