With nearly 9,000 units of local government, Illinois is among the most fragmented states in the nation. Government consolidation is frequently proposed as a mechanism to improve efficiency, accountability, and fiscal sustainability in fragmented systems of local governance. In practice, consolidation can take many forms, ranging from full structural mergers and dissolutions of governments to narrower functional consolidation and shared service arrangements. These approaches differ…
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…
On September 17, 2025, Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson testified before the Cook County Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee in support of a resolution calling for an assessment and reform of mosquito abatement services in suburban Cook County. He emphasized that mosquito abatement is a vital public health function but is currently delivered through a fragmented and inequitable system that lacks efficiency and accountability. Citing the Federation’s earlier report,…
The Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General’s July 2025 report reveals ongoing ethical and administrative failures at the South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District (SCCMAD), including trustees serving beyond expired terms, improper payments disguised as travel reimbursements, and limited transparency. While the County Board has accepted recommendations for corrective action, SCCMAD’s partial and inadequate response underscores the need for stronger oversight and potential…
The Civic Federation has long advocated for the abolition of unnecessary, duplicative, and unaccountable units of local government, including townships. These proliferate in greater number in Illinois, which has 8,506 units of government,1 than anywhere in the country. Examples include the Federation’s successful three-year campaign that in 2006 resulted in the dissolution of the Cook County Suburban Tuberculosis Sanitarium District, a once important government function that evolved into…
Mosquito abatement districts (MAD) in Illinois utilize integrated pest management strategies to control mosquito populations and prevent diseases from mosquito-borne viruses such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, encephalitis, and West Nile virus.Mosquito abatement services can be delivered by special district governments, municipal or county public health programs, public works programs, or through contracts with private companies. In parts of Cook County, four mosquito abatement…
The multiplicity of local units of government, many of which are funded predominantly by property taxes, is often cited as a reason for high property tax rates in Illinois. Local government consolidation, cooperation and dissolution has therefore become a focus for many government leaders and civic groups as a way to reduce duplication and the cost of government. This is particularly true at a time when local governments are facing severe revenue shortfalls as a result of the coronavirus…
