Illinois mayors say don't balance state budget on the backs of their residents

With negotiations in Springfield at a critical point, a group of Illinois mayors is urging legislators and the governor to avoid targeting cities to help balance the budget.

The state collects about $1.2 billion in local revenue annually. The money is supposed to be returned to local governments, where it helps cover costs such as police departments and garbage collection.

In recent years the state has held on to hundreds of millions of dollars to help close a budget gap. The mayors, who were gathered for a quarterly meeting Friday in Chicago, say the money is vital to help fund basic services — and they’re worried the state is considering making the cuts permanent.

“Either we have to cut essential services that our residences rely upon every single day, or we have to figure out ways to raise new revenue, which essentially amounts to a back-door tax increase forced through us on our residents by Springfield,” Downers Grove Mayor Martin Tully said.

Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/illinois-mayors-say-dont-balance-state-budget-on-the-backs-of-their-residents/