Deputy Director Sarah Brune Speaks before the Senate Committee on Local Government

On Wednesday, March 18 Deputy Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Sarah Brune, stood before the Illinois General Assembly’s Local Government Committee in support of Senate Bill 0030; sponsored by Illinois Senator Julie Morrison. If passed into state law, this bill would remove performance bonuses for township and multi-township assessors as well as chief county assessment officers; an amount that totals more than $1 million per year in appropriations. These bonuses are paid out of funds appropriated to Department of Revenue from the Personal Property Tax Replacement fund.

Sarah outlined three primary reasons assessor bonuses should be removed from Illinois statutes. The first reason is transparency. Information surrounding the bonuses—who receives them, how they are awarded—is not readily accessible to the average citizen. Second is the issue of accountability. Brune explained, “State government should not operate under a two-tiered system in which some public officials are given bonuses simply for completing their job requirements. It is unclear how these bonuses are taxed and how they figure into recipients’ pensions.” The third reason to remove assessor bonuses is fiscal responsibility. While several state funded services are being cut, these assessors, among other elected officials, are still receiving bonuses at taxpayer expense.

Both Brune and Senator Morrison were successful in passing Senate Bill 0030 in the Local Government Senate Committee of the Illinois General Assembly. The bill passed committee with a 7-1 vote and was placed on the Calendar Order of 2^nd Reading for March 19. A final reading of the bill has yet to be decided.