The City of Geneva is urging residents to visit www.ProtectMyTown.com to voice their opposition to Illinois leaders regarding Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposal aimed at taking local revenue to fix the state’s budget problems.
Attempts to take local income tax revenue from the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) to close budget gaps at the state level is spurring municipal officials across Illinois to fight to maintain control of these funds. If the state proposal became a reality, Geneva would lose $1 million annually.
The LGDF returns tax dollars to Illinois communities, including Geneva, to fund essential services such as police and fire protection, street maintenance and snow plowing. If the local revenue is reduced, Geneva will have to make up for the funding shortfall by cutting services.
“I echo the sentiments of my colleagues throughout Illinois by strongly objecting to the Governor and State Legislature trying to right their financial ship by sinking ours,” Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said. “Let’s work with each other instead of against each other.”
Designed to stop the LGDF cuts, ProtectMyTown.com allows residents to directly voice their opinion and tell lawmakers to make the tough decisions necessary to balance their own budget – as Geneva has done since the 2008 recession – without taking money away from local communities.
After logging on to ProtectMyTown.com, it only takes three easy steps to directly contact state officials: 1) Review your letter; 2) Fill out your contact information; and 3) Hit the “Take Action” button to complete the form. Residents can also forward and share the website through social media to their friends to join the movement.
Illinois municipalities rely on the LGDF, which was instituted in 1969 as part of an agreement under which local governments would not impose a separate income tax. The deal guarantees municipalities a share of state income tax receipts to help fund local services.
The City of Geneva’s focus has been to provide essential core services and excellent customer service to its residents, business owners and community stakeholders. In spite of ongoing fiscal challenges, City officials have taken a conservative financial approach and proactive steps to manage increasing costs, deteriorating revenues and the uncertainty of a slowly recovering economy. The City Council recently approved a balanced 2015-16 budget, however, additional cuts affecting some key services would be needed if the state income tax revenue is reduced.
For more information about the impact of the proposed income tax revenue cuts on Geneva, visit the City’s website at www.geneva.il.us.