October 27, 2025
by Roland Calia
Illinois has nearly 9,000 local governments — far more than any other state. This proliferation of governments results in redundancies that drive up costs and taxes, reduce transparency, and weaken accountability to the point of even fostering corruption or unethical behavior from elected and appointed officials.
The Benefits of Consolidation
Consolidating local governments or merging their functions into larger, better-resourced entities—such as a county or municipality—can improve efficiency, reduce spending, and strengthen oversight. Efficiencies and cost reductions can be achieved by eliminating duplicative management positions, leveraging pooled resources, and promoting economies of scale in purchasing and service delivery. These measures, individually and collectively, ensure taxpayers are served by a more effective, cost-conscious, and less costly government.
The Civic Federation has a longstanding record of advocating for the abolition of unnecessary, duplicative, and unaccountable units of local government. Earlier this year, the Federation published a report reviewing the transparency, finances, and governance of the four Cook County mosquito abatement districts. The report documented wide disparities in the level of service provision and transparency of operations among those districts. It recommended that the four Cook County Mosquito Abatement Districts be dissolved, and their functions and taxing authority be incorporated into the Cook County government. In response, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution, which the Civic Federation supported, calling for a study of mosquito abatement activities across suburban Cook County to improve governance and services delivery. The study and accompanying recommendations are due by June 1, 2026. The Federation previously led a successful three-year campaign to abolish the Cook County Suburban Tuberculosis Sanitarium District, a historically inefficient government with questionable fiscal management. In 2025, the Civic Federation supported Governor Pritzker’s unsuccessful proposal (SB2504) to lower the procedural hurdles for consolidation or elimination of Illinois’ townships, one of the larger categories of redundant, inefficient, and tax-burdening governance in Illinois.
Lake County as a Consolidation Leader
While progress toward consolidation has been uneven across the state, Lake County, Illinois, has emerged as a leader in reducing duplication and streamlining local services. With more than 200 units of government, Lake County has been gradually chipping away at this problem by pursuing the elimination or consolidation of small, special-district governments such as sanitary districts, drainage districts, and mosquito abatement districts. Since 2017, the 19-member elected Lake County Board of Commissioners has eliminated or consolidated six special districts and is in the process of dissolving two more. These ongoing efforts, detailed further below, have effectively reduced redundant functions and removed small tax levies from property bills.
The Civic Federation applauds Lake County’s efforts to reduce duplication of effort, cut costs, and streamline operations for the delivery of public services. Lake County’s success in eliminating unnecessary layers of government clearly demonstrates that consolidation is both desirable and possible.
Sanitary Districts
Sanitary districts are charged with reducing water pollution through means such as drainage control, protection from overflow, and the provision of sewage disposal. They are governed by boards of trustees and may levy property taxes and issue bonds. Creation of the Lakes Region Sanitary District was originally authorized by the Sanitary District Act of 1936.
Sanitary districts are created by a petition from property owners seeking sanitary services. The petition must then be approved by the circuit court in the county where the district will be located. Sanitary districts can be dissolved by referendum, by a petition from property owners requesting that a court dissolve the district, or by legislative or county action.
Lakes Region Sanitary District (LRSD) Dissolution: Between 2019 and 2023, this district was dissolved and its functions transferred to the Lake County Public Works Department via state legislation and county action. LRSD previously maintained and serviced lift stations and pipes for 6,000 customers in served portions of Fox Lake, Lake Villa, Volo, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, and nearby unincorporated areas. The County assumed operations in 2019, and final dissolution of the district was completed by June 2023. The approximately $1.25 million annual district property tax levy was eliminated, resulting in a tax reduction for property owners.
Round Lake Sanitary District Dissolution: The Round Lake Sanitary District was dissolved in 2017. An intergovernmental agreement transferred the district’s assets and responsibilities to Lake County government, ending longstanding inefficient practices arising from the need for the County to maintain assets owned and operated by the district.
Drainage Districts
Drainage districts construct, maintain, and repair drains and levees, and engage in other drainage or levee work for agricultural, sanitary, or mining purposes. They are created by petition or referendum and are governed by a board of commissioners who may be elected or appointed by a judge or a County Board. They do not levy property taxes. However, they may collect maintenance assessment fees, which are special tax assessments on properties that benefit from a specific project. Drainage districts also have bonding authority to issue debt for capital infrastructure projects.
Illinois statute (Illinois Drainage Code) allows for dissolution of drainage districts by joint resolutions or ordinances, followed by a court filing. Dissolution is permitted if municipalities covering 75% or more of the district agree, the district has no outstanding debts, and the action would not impair grants or permits. The Lake County Board formed an Ad Hoc Drainage District Consolidation Committee in 2019 to facilitate the following efforts.
Beach Park Drainage District Dissolution: The Beach Park Drainage District was dissolved in 2021 through a joint action of Lake County Government, the Village of Beach Park, and the City of Waukegan. Beach Park and Waukegan now handle responsibility for parcels within their bounds, while responsibility for parcels in unincorporated areas was transferred to Lake County government. Annual Drainage District tax assessments on properties within the former District were eliminated, resulting in an assessment reduction for property owners.
Seavey Drainage District Dissolution: The Seavey Drainage District was long-dormant, which is not an uncommon phenomenon across the thousands of units of local government statewide. The County Board adopted a resolution in 2019 to dissolve the district and transfer maintenance duties to local municipalities. The action was authorized by Public Act 100-0874, which noted in the recitals that even the boundaries of the district had become “indeterminate” over time.
Skokie East and West Drainage District Consolidation: Two separate drainage districts – Skokie East and West – in Lake County were consolidated in 2023 to form the Skokie Consolidated Drainage District (SCDD). That action followed four years of discussion and work by a Board-appointed Ad Hoc Drainage District Consolidation Committee. In taking the consolidation action, the County Board Chair noted specifically that “[t]his consolidation will save money by reducing administrative costs and the redundancy of government units. The consolidated district currently maintains a regional drainage system serving approximately 20,600 parcels of land.
Slocum Lake Drainage District – In Process of Dissolution: The Slocum Lake Drainage District is currently undergoing county-initiated dissolution. A county ordinance was proposed in September 2024, followed by the County Board’s approval of a Trustee-in-Dissolution plan on June 10, 2025. Final court-ordered dissolution is pending; the County Board adopted the trustee plan and advanced the process toward completion.
Mosquito Abatement Districts
Mosquito abatement districts are responsible for the extermination of mosquitoes, flies, and other insects within the district. The 1927 Illinois Mosquito Abatement Act authorizes voters to organize mosquito abatement districts by referendum. Districts are governed by five-member boards and may levy property taxes, but they do not have bonding authority. Board members are appointed by a township, county, or municipality presiding officer, depending on the district's location.
Mosquito abatement districts may be dissolved, consolidated with another government, or services transferred to a company through a contractual arrangement, by referendum, or by a majority vote of the governing board. If a district is annexed or consolidated, its responsibilities and taxing authority are taken over by the government, assuming its functions.
Lake Bluff Mosquito Abatement District Dissolution: The Lake Bluff Mosquito Abatement District was officially dissolved by the Lake County Board in 2021. The district served parts of the municipalities of Lake Bluff, North Chicago, Green Oaks, and portions of unincorporated Lake County. The District’s $100,000 annual property tax levy was eliminated. The County has contracted with a vector control company to provide mosquito abatement services, the cost of which is now absorbed by the County.
South Lake Mosquito Abatement District (SLMAD) - In Process of Dissolution: Lake County is in the process of dissolving the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District. Created in 1920, the SLMAD is the only remaining mosquito abatement district in the County. It serves residents in Highland Park, Deerfield, Riverwoods, Highwood, and Bannockburn. SLMAD’s property tax levy generated $481,722 in 2024. The County Board ordered an audit of the District’s finances and operations and, in August 2025, voted 18-1 in favor of an ordinance proposing its dissolution in the summer of 2025.
Conclusion
The eight actions taken in Lake County to consolidate or dissolve small, special district governments show that successful government consolidation is possible when there is sufficient political will and public buy-in. These efforts have resulted in the elimination of redundant or unnecessary government entities, while maintaining services and alleviating the burden on taxpayers. In all of these cases, the County has or will be able to absorb the cost of service delivery while eliminating the special districts’ tax levies.
With 970 drainage districts, 119 sanitary districts, 22 mosquito abatement districts, and thousands of other special district government districts throughout Illinois, there are abundant opportunities for improving government efficiency. These examples from Lake County present a template for dissolutions or consolidations of similar special districts throughout the State, and not only, but especially during a time of constrained resources at all levels of government.