The Illinois Municipal League announced its annual ‘Moving Cities Forward’ legislative platform, which aims to secure the long-term success of Illinois’ 1,295 cities, villages, and towns.

The 2023 platform is meant to strengthen the ability to provide critical services to taxpayers and includes:

• Prioritizing fully funding the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF)
• Payment of downstate public safety pension funds
• Allowing electronic publication of government notices
• Granting local officials authority to hold remote meetings
• Creating a statewide digital storage system for officer-worn body camera footage.

“These proposals are crucial to the fiscal solvency and overall wellbeing of municipalities across Illinois,” said IML Executive Director Brad Cole.

“We’re asking the General Assembly to collaborate with local leaders to ensure that they have the funds and authority needed to best serve their communities, as they provide the local services that protect the health, safety and welfare of their shared constituencies.”

Locally, Representative Dave Vella (D-Rockford) has brought to light the current repayment schedule for downstate police and firefighter pension funds.

The schedule is significantly shorter than other statewide, state-administered, and Chicago-based pension systems, despite downstate public safety pension funds having better funding ratios.

The proposal of HB 1185 would extend the repayment date for downstate public safety pension funds from the end of MFY 2040 to MFY 2050 or later.

This measure would provide immediate financial relief to affected communities.

To read other proposals and more information about the entire 2023 “Moving Cities Forward” agenda, visit the website.

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