>>> YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON THIS PROGRAM.

THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT AND THE WAY THAT IT AFFECTS OUR LIVES.

BUT ANOTHER KEY TO UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR STATE WORKS IS UNDERSTANDING JUST WITH UNITS OF GOVERNMENT ARE, HOW THEY ARE FUNDED.

HERE IS THE LATEST IN OUR SERIES, WTTW NEWS EXPLAINS.

>> Reporter: WHEN YOU HEAR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU PROBABLY THINK OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO OR COOK COUNTY.

BUT YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT THINKING OF AIRPORTS AND MOSQUITO ABATEMENT.

BUT YOU SHOULD BE.

THESE ARE ALL CONSIDERED TO BE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE, AS ARE THINGS LIKE AIRPORTS, ROADS AND BRIDGES.

IN THE BIG OLD U.S. OF A, ILLINOIS MAYBE 26th IN SIZE AND FIFTH IN POPULATION, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE ARE NUMBER ONE!

DEPENDING ON HOW YOU COUNT, THE LAND OF LINCOLN IS HOME TO SEVEN TO 9000 UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

LET'S LOOK AT THE VILLAGE OF GURNEE.

IT IS HOME TO MORE THAN JUST ROLLER COASTERS AND WATER SLIDES.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, A HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, LAKE COUNTY, A PARK DISTRICT, A WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT AND WATER AGENCIES.

IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY YOU HAVE A MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISTRICT, FLOOD PREVENTION DISTRICT AND EVEN TUBERCULOSIS SANATORIUM.

THEY CAN ALL COST MONEY, BONDS AND EVEN LOANS.

SOUND COMPLICATED?

WELL, TO ADD ANOTHER LAYER, SOME UNITS OF GOVERNMENT COVER ONLY A SINGLE VENOUS APOLOGY, WHEREAS OTHERS SERVE MULTIPLE OR A HALL COUNTY.

THINK OF IT AS LIKE A NESTING DOLL OF BUREAUCRACY.

CRITICS WANT TO STREAMLINE THINGS.

THEY SAY THAT MANY OF THESE AUTHORITIES ARE UNNECESSARY AND INFLATE PROPERTY TAX BILLS.

SO ORDERS SAY THE COST PER TAXPAYER IS NOT MUCH AND THAT THESE DISTRICTS CAN BE BETTER ATTUNED TO THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS.

OVER TIME, THEY HAVE TRIED TO MAKE IT EASIER TO CONSOLIDATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUT WITH THOUSANDS STILL ON THE BOOKS, OUR STATE'S BEHEMOTH BETTER ACCURACY IS NOT LIKELY TO SHRINK ANYTIME SOON.

>>> YOU CAN FIND MORE EPISODES OF OUR WTTW NEWS EXPLAINS A SERIES ON OUR WEBSITE.

AND JOINING US FOR A DEBATE ON WHETHER WE SHOULD CUT BACK ON UNITS OF GOVERNMENT IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT THE ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE AND FROM SPRINGFIELD, JERRY CRABTREE , WHO REPRESENTS MORE THAN 1400 TOWNSHIPS ACROSS THE STATE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WE APPRECIATE YOU BOTH BEING HERE.

JERRY CRABTREE, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH YOU.

MANY UNITS OF GOVERNMENT ARE QUITE SMALL IN SCOPE OR DOES THAT LIMIT FOCUS?

>> I THINK IT DOES.

IT IS THE MOST VULNERABLE OF THE POPULATION.

I AM CONCERNED WITH THE 1426 TOWNSHIPS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.

REMEMBER THAT 85% OF MEMBERS WERE PRESENT POPULATIONS OF 5000 PEOPLE OR LESS.

WE ARE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF THE POPULATION.

>> ARE ILLINOIS RESIDENTS SO WELL-SERVED BY HAVING SO MANY UNITS OF GOVERNMENT?

>> I THINK IT SHOULD BE UP TO THEM TO DECIDE.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE PROLIFERATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE IS THAT IT IS VERY EASY TO CREATE THESE ONCE UPON A TIME.

THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THOUSANDS.

BUT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE OR REDESIGN OR GET RID OF THEM.

I THINK WHAT MOST PEOPLE IN ILLINOIS AGREE ON IS THAT WE PAY REALLY HIGH PROPERTY TAXES, THE FIRST OR SECOND HIGHEST IN THE NATION , BUT WE ARE NOT GETTING THE FIRST OR SECOND HIGHEST QUALITY OF SERVICES.

SO WE NEED TO MAKE IT EASIER TO BRING THIS QUESTION TO VOTERS AND WHETHER THEY SHOULD CONSOLIDATE OR NOT.

>> THEY SAY THAT THESE TAX DOLLARS ARE A BURDEN ON ILLINOISANS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT?

>> I THINK IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY TAX BILL AS A WHOLE, THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE IS BETWEEN TWO AND 3%.

THE AVERAGE DISTRICT POPULATION PERCENTAGE IS 65%.

I AGREE THAT SOME VOTERS HAVE TO DECIDE, AND I WOULD SAY THAT IN MY YEARS OF BEING HERE, EVERY TIME IT IS CHALLENGED IT ALWAYS LOSES AT THE POLLS.

THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR VIEW, IS TO LET VOTERS DETERMINE.

THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS SO LOW THAT IT WILL PROBABLY NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR SAVE MONEY.

>> ARE THEIR THOUGHTS OF HOW MUCH MONEY COULD BE SAVED BY CONSOLIDATING GOVERNMENT?

>> WE CAN BARELY GET A RELIABLE ESTIMATE ON HOW MANY LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT THERE ARE.

IN 40 STATES, THE AVERAGE PERSON WHO LIVES UNDER TWO UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND ILLINOIS YOU HAVE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING UNDER 16 GOVERNMENTS AND OF COURSE CHANGING THAT WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL OVERNIGHT BUT OUR PROPERTY TAXES RIGHT NOW ARE DEATH BY 1000 CUTS.

YOU DON'T NEED TWO KITCHENS TO SERVE A FAMILY MEAL.

SO I THINK THESE CHANGES AROUND THE EDGES REALLY DO ADD UP, AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE BECOME EDUCATED ABOUT HOW MANY LAYERS ARE IN THEIR COMMUNITY .

AT THE STATE LEVEL YOU REALLY NEED LEGISLATION TO MAKE THIS EASIER FOR PEOPLE TACKLE IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

>> IN THE PAST, THEY HAVE CONSIDERED LETTING VOTERS DISSOLVE OR CONSOLIDATE .

IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF.

DO YOU SEE THIS IS GOING ANYWHERE IN SPRINGFIELD?

>> THE SYSTEM HAS ALWAYS ADVOCATED FOR THIS.

OUR ASSOCIATION HAS ALWAYS SAID THAT IF IT MAKES FISCAL OR RESPONSIBLE SENSE, ANY CONSOLIDATED EFFORT MUST BE LEFT OFF TO VOTERS.

MOST OF THE TIME THE VOTERS WILL VOTE TO KEEP IT BECAUSE IT IS THE GOVERNMENT AND TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT MOST COMMON TO THE COMMUNITY.

AS OFTEN INDICATED, IT IS THE LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT.

TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT IS ONE THAT IS VERY EFFECTIVE LOCALLY.

IT IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED, AND THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE ARE NEEDED FOR THE COMMUNITY.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT OTHER UNITS OF GOVERNMENT CAN TAKE OVER THOSE AT THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE.

>> AWESOME.

WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU.

DO YOU THINK THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT RESIDENTS WHO VOTE TO ELIMINATE OR CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THESE UNITS OF GOVERNMENT MIGHT REGRET THAT VOTE?

>> MAYBE, BUT THAT IS THE NATURE OF DEMOCRACY.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE OPTION.

ONE GENTLEMAN THAT WE WORK WITH IS FROM WONDER LAKE IN McHENRY COUNTY.

HIS PROPERTY TAX BILL TODAY IS HIGHER THAN THE VALUE OF THE HOUSE THAT HE BUILT WHEN HE FIRST MOVED THERE.

HE IS BEEN TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE GOVERNMENT FOR YEARS, AND ALL HE PHASES HIS PERSONAL