Page 87 - Illinois Association of Park Districts Benefits of Membership 2017 - 2018

uniquely qualified to provide for the responsible stewardship of a community’s open space, grasslands, prairies, golf courses, trails, greenways, ponds, riparian habitat, streams, lakes, wetlands or significant fish and wildlife habitat.
Conclusion
Illinois park districts have existed for more than a century. They have withstood the test of time, and Illinois citizens have accepted them as effective and efficient units of local government.
Even so, Illinois’ large number of units of local government invites debate about the consolidation of local governments. Compelling reasons for debate on the issue deserve further investigation.
In this light, the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) believes that each type of unit of local government should be evaluated independently.
The relevant test for this evaluation is not whether there is a disproportionate number of units of local government in Illinois, but:
1. Whether those units of local government can be created and dissolved by citizen-initiated referenda rather than be created by appointment as an outgrowth of a general-purpose government,
2. Whether local officials are elected and whether they serve without compensation,
3. Whether those units of local government have availed themselves of the opportunities provided by the
drafters of the 1970 Illinois Constitution’s emphasis on intergovernmental cooperation,
4. Whether citizens are assured a high degree of visibility and accessibility to the decision-making process
of these units of local government, and
5. Whether the unit of local government effectively provides services.
The IAPD will continue to demonstrate to the Illinois General Assembly and the public that park districts meet or exceed all criteria that determine whether a unit of local government functions properly and efficiently. The IAPD will continue to aid the state’s park districts as they provide outstanding services to their communities.
ACTIONS
The Illinois Association of Park Districts will actively participate in discussions regarding the consolidation of
local government in Illinois and report the outcomes of such discussions to our membership. The
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