2015-14 RESOLUTION . 2 1 5 - 14
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE PRESERVATION
OF FUNDING FOR CRITICAL MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
SERVICES AND SWIFT AND THOROUGH CHANGES BY
THE STATE IN REDUCING THE BURDEN OF UNFUNDED MANDATES
WHEREAS, municipal government is the closest unit of Illinois government to their residents
and thereby the most responsive to the needs and desires of its citizens; and
WHEREAS,municipalities are front-line providers of critical government services to residents
and these services include police and fire protection, snow removal, refuse collection,
infrastructure, water, sewer and utility services among countless others; and
WHEREAS, municipalities have struggled to regain financial footing following the recession of
2008, despite having made significant strides in reducing the cost of government to their
residents by means of reorganization, restructuring, cost containment, shared services and other
means all while seeking to retain and enhance critical government services; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove, like any other municipalities throughout the State,
reduced its budgets, right-sized services and responsibly managed revenues and expenditures, all
while weathering the worst recession in generations in order to maintain critical government
services; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove is a Home Rule municipality with mature residential,
commercial and industrial land uses and limited open land for new sales tax-generating uses
within its borders; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove relies upon a combination of sales taxes, property
taxes and its share of various State revenues, including income taxes to fund its operations; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove has relied on the receipt of these State funds over the
past forty years when entering into contractual obligations and the loss of these revenues will
negatively impact and hinder the ability of the Village to fulfill its contractual obligations; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Buffalo Grove has taken decisive action to minimize any property tax
increases to its residents, averaging I% or less in annual tax levy growth over the last five years;
and
WHEREAS, the State's proposed real estate tax freeze and reduction of critical State revenues
will severely impair the Village's ability to issue debt and maintain corollary bond ratings,
provide basic municipal services and provide for the safety of the public; and
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois has not yet taken the steps necessary to assure its own financial
health; and
WHEREAS, various State government officials have indicated that critical local government
funds collected and disbursed by the State may be reduced or eliminated in order to improve the
State's financial health, ignoring the dramatic long-term negative impacts on municipalities and
failing to solve structural issues that have led to increased costs of government throughout
Illinois; and
WHEREAS, various State government officials have also threatened the imposition of a property
tax freeze on all units of government in the State, further limiting revenues to municipalities and
endangering critical municipal services; and
WHEREAS, these State-imposed reductions in or the elimination of vital revenues would
severely damage municipalities' financial health, thus requiring them to increase the tax and fee
burden on their residents and reduce the ability to provide core services to our residents; and
WHEREAS, prior to, during and since the conclusion of the 2008 recession, the State has,
through more than 280 unfunded mandates, dramatically and materially increased the cost of
government to all governments throughout Illinois, requiring increased taxes and fees imposed
upon all residents to pay for such unfunded mandates;
WHEREAS, these unfunded mandates including the imposition of excessive pension benefits,
prevailing wage requirements, workers' compensation laws, injury apportionment and
impairment laws, and certain labor laws and other similar unfunded mandates have dramatically
and materially increased the costs to local taxpayers by billions of dollars; and
WHEREAS, the untenable combination of the potential for dramatic revenue reduction with the
crushing responsibility of State-imposed mandates affects the very sustainability of
municipalities throughout the State of Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the potential increase of real estate taxes necessary to offset the reduction in State
revenues will undoubtedly increase the burden on homeowners, potentially reduce property
values and increase the number of real estate foreclosures-9 and
WHEREAS, swift and thorough changes to the State-imposed unfunded mandates addressing
these matters may reduce the cost of providing critical government services at the local level and
thus reduce the burden on local taxpayers, including reducing the burden of property taxes and
fees.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF
TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE, COOK AND LAKE COUNTIES:
SECTION ONE: The Corporate Authorities of the Village of Buffalo Grove strongly
endorse swift and thorough reforms to the over 280 unfunded mandates imposed by the State.
SECTION TWO: The Village further calls upon the State to eliminate any proposal that
would freeze property taxes.
SECTION THREE: The Village further requests the full disbursement of all State-collected
municipal revenues due to municipalities, thus preventing irreparable damage to the well-being
of municipal residents and improving the overall financial health and well-being of the State of
Illinois by providing increased opportunity for the State, its governments and its citizens.
AYES: 4—Trilling, Sussman Terson Stein
NAYS: 0—None
ABSENT: Bennan, Ottenheimer
PASSED: April 20, 2015
APPROVED: April 20, 2015
ill Prsident
ATTEST:
Village d I c k