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VOL. 12 • NO. 17
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also serving Oakbrook Terrace
WWW.THEINDEPENDENTNEWSPAPERS.COM
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2016
Tom Cullerton shares recent legislative initiatives Works to spread DuPage success throughout Illinois
SPRINGFIELD — To mirror the success seen in DuPage County, State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) has advanced a series of initiatives to streamline and remove redundancies in local government. “Through our bipartisan work, we have made DuPage County a leader in government consolidation,” Cullerton said. “It’s time to use the lessons we have learned and spread our success throughout the state to save valuable taxpayer dollars.” Three initiatives advanced by Cullerton to streamline state government: Government consolidation report (Senate Bill 2994): Requires all Illinois county boards to submit a report to the General Assembly recommending units of government that may be dissolved or consolidated. This was the first step DuPage County took in its government consolidation efforts. Through this model, the county is projected to save taxpayers more than $100 million over the next 20 years. School district consolidation (Senate Bill 2324): Will require the Illinois State Board of Education to submit a report to the General Assembly recommend-
ing school districts that can be consolidated or dissolved. Mosquito abatement (Senate Bill 2323): Dissolves mosquito abatement entities in DuPage County and transfers their duties to townships.
Mosquito abatement entities manage mosquito populations and the economic and environmental impact they have on communities. Cullerton acknowledges that Illinois has more than 7,000 gov-
ernment entities that were developed decades ago. “It’s important that we continue to find ways to make sure government is working for the citizens of Illinois,” Cullerton said. “Government needs to evolve
Villa Park Youth Baseball opened its season on Saturday, April 16. Pictured here, the Giants were ready to play at Jefferson field. More photos from VPYB Opening Day inside this issue.
Inside:
Police Reports...........6 Sports �������������������� 18 Viewpoint.................8 Classifieds..........24-25
Walk-In Clinic In Jewel-Osco 1127 S. York Road Bensenville (630) 527-3645
with the needs of the people.” The government consolidation package passed the Senate’s Committee on Local Government with bipartisan support and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
It’s opening day for Villa Park baseball photo by Paul DelGuidice
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