Cook County Suggests Towns Annex Unincorporated Areas
Announced Monday by County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, such a move would be a way for the county to push the cost of services onto local towns as they annex the land.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is calling for the elimination of all unincorporated areas in the coming years in order to relieve the county's strained financial resources.
Under the proposal, nearby municipalities would annex the county's 62 square miles of unincorporated land, leaving towns and villages to pick up the cost for services such as police protection and code enforcement.
Preckwinkle appointed a task force in November 2011 to investigate the provision of services to unincorporated Cook County, as well as the associated costs. The study was completed and results were announced during a press conference Monday morning.
According to Preckwinkle, recent budget reviews have shown that providing "municipal-type" services to the 98,000 residents in unincorporated Cook County is reducing available funds for the county's primary functions—health care and criminal justice.
"I am grateful to the task force for its hard work tackling a complicated and controversial issue," she stated in a press release. "It's clear that in order to reduce our staggering budget deficit and maintain value for taxpayers, we need to move toward the goals outlined in this report, and eliminate the unincorporated areas of Cook County."
According to Preckwinkle, the report determined that the elimination of unincorporated areas "will provide for more local control over local public policy decisions and allow the county to realize significant budget savings over time."
The task force has broken the process into three parts—immediate (next year), near-term (next two years) and long-term (no timeline).
Task force members hope to begin the implementation effort in the coming months, and plan to further investigate the two largest components of the report—policing services and infrastructure/housing issues.
In the next year, municipalities will be encouraged to annex unincorporated parcels with fewer than 100 residents, with a specific focus on parcels smaller than 60 acres, according to the report.
Near-term goals include shifting the annexation push to larger parcels, and creating fee-for-service models and adjusting revenue streams to cover the costs of providing services to unincorporated areas.
If annexation proves to be infeasible in some areas, the panel hopes to pursue intergovernmental agreements with adjoining municipalities to cover the costs of services.
During the press conference, Preckwinkle said she hopes to achieve the panel's goal by the end of the decade. The long-term savings for Cook County is still unknown, she said.
— Amanda Luevano, Patch.com
What do you think? Would you want your town to annex land to save Cook County money?
nick
6:18 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
There would be no long term savings for 'Crooked County'. They are experts at wasting money.
Alan Perkaus
6:25 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
That sound like a great idea. NOT!!! I for being one of millions of tax payers should be able to see this one coming. Shove off the burden on local governments who will have to increase their tax on local residents to support the roads, police, Garbage, ect. Then the county will give us less service and still increase their tax burden. What's next? Forcing the Burbs to take control of the Forrest preserve's. Why don't we just get rid of county Gov't? No more Patronage, county taxes, Ect. Let the individual towns set up their own property tax system. After all; they are closer to properties and should know the up's and downs of the fair market value in their own towns.
Jerome O'Connor
12:20 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Excellent comments!!!
Katie L.
9:41 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
It is a good idea. It is unfair for residents in municipalities to have to pay for services to unincorporated areas. Residents of those areas have gotten a pretty free ride for long enough.
ceci
10:07 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
Free ride?? Excuse me Katie...unfair to who? Lady I think your confused and need to look into what your saying..Seems too me you know nothing!! As to being annexed I think its wrong. I have been in unincorporated area for 30 plus years and I love my home plus my land.
Jerome O'Connor
12:21 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Let her have it Ceci.
NANCY GRACE
8:10 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
I think all these scumbags that work for crook county should be investigated by the feds to help lower our taxes.
Jerome O'Connor
12:31 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
We cannot trust the federal government to investigate the county because both the county and the federal government want to raise taxes and then foolishly spend our money.
Dave W.
11:25 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
This is another prime example of a good idea that would turn out bad. The unincorporated areas are an anachronism to a certain degree, and the people living there largely get the same benefits as the towns they neighbor for a reduced cost. HOWEVER, as expressed on this board, NOBODY has ANY confidence that Cook County would do anything the 'right way'. Preckwinkle might be the most honest person alive, but she sits in a seat that is historically corrupt. Who would trust the county to not either mess it up or muddy it up? Nobody...
Jerome O'Connor
12:23 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
I agree. Cook County has no credibility.
David B
12:52 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
So,,is the County going to turn over the money out of it's budget it expends for these unincorporated ares, to the towns that will be required to annex them, OR will this just be an added financial burden to the towns that will annex?
Mahdee
1:00 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
let see force me to corporate with local town; now who is going to pay for my water hook up to the town; after all I have well water. Now; who is going to pay to hook me up to the local sewer systems; after all I should have this is I have to pay for it. Now; as far as I can see this can't be done without having the people vote on it and no one is going to agree to do it as the cost will hurt the town; unless the county is going to pay for all the changes that need to be put in place. And for those who don't know we pay about the same amount in taxes.
leo
5:02 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
No. If the county can't support those areas, how are overstressed towns going to cover the cost.
mom
7:47 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
I am embarrased to say I live in Crook County. If only the people in charge would make some changes and perhaps give up some of their government benefits, raises and pensions that we taxpayers pay for, things would get better. Unions and Government Jobs have got to change. People better vote and pray for changes!!
Jerome O'Connor
12:32 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Good comments!!!
mom
7:49 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
And Katie there is no free ride in Cook County.
Dave W.
10:58 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Mahdee, I'm sorry if you pay the same in taxes, because you are really getting shafted and should move. The only good reason to stay in an area like that is BECAUSE the taxes should be lower. Also, I would be curious what area, because it is VERY rare for that to happen.
To that point, mom, you are correct, there is no free ride, but Katie has a point, the taxes USUALLY are cheaper. So, not a FREE ride, but a reduced rate.
(I deal with looking at taxes in the area all day...there is a difference the majority of the time...)
Chappy
12:01 am on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
I do live in an unicorporated area. Taxes are lower. However...No Police, Fire, EMS, Library, Park District, Water, Sewer, roads, etc. We looked into being annexed a few years ago and the answer was $92K per household. We contract now for fire and ems. Sherriff is supposed to patrol and respond. In 10 years I;ve seen them maybe 10 times. So, who will pay if the county forces homeowners into this arrangement? A flurry of lawsuits would I am sure follow and it would ultimately cost the county more than it is worth. Of course, many of us would appreciate the ability to have these services provided by a village or town that actually cares..and the county tax payers will wind up footing the bill.Bright idea cook county!
Frank Williams
5:47 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012
This is a very bad idea. It amounts to forcing citizens wishing to live in unincorporated areas to become residents of Cook County. If Cook County, and Illinois would cease to be so unfriendly to business and homeowners, they would not need to bolster their tax rolls by coerced residency.