Discussing the betterment of Belvidere

By Mike Chamberlain

Belvidere Mayor

BELVIDERE – One of the great pleasures I have in being mayor is working for positive improvements in Belvidere that people can see and appreciate.

However, if our roads are pockmarked with potholes, or our sewers overflow, my office hears about it.

When I see you at the supermarket, or at the gas station, or the bank, and you share with me the problems you see in our community, it is my job as mayor to listen, and find effective ways to find solutions.

One way we can do a better job is to streamline services. A more transparent, more accountable, better functioning and less costly way to accomplish results serves everyone.

It is no secret that Illinois has nearly 7,000 units of local government. That’s 2,000 more than any other state. About 6,000 of the 7,000 can levy taxes.

All of these units of government are charged with providing services, and sometimes there are duplicative or redundant efforts that could be better managed from many perspectives, not the least of which is cost containment and control.

When every unit of government supports at least one, and sometimes many separate facilities, each with its own office hardware and IT expenses, the dollars add up quickly.

In turn, our residents pay more in taxes, but seldom receive more in return.

Redundant layers of government are often ineffective.

They increase bureaucratic inefficiencies, while making it more time-consuming and difficult to navigate through the system to get things done.

Government should make it easy for constituents to find the information they need and, hopefully, get their business done at a central, easily accessible location.

Belvidere deserves better; YOU deserve better.

Local governments work because we know our communities. Springfield does not. We know the infrastructure challenges of declining roads and bridges.

Locally, we are chained to State unfunded mandates that gobble up taxpayer dollars that should be spent for more necessary local needs.

Unfortunately, in Springfield, it is much easier to create a unit of government than it is to consolidate one. This scenario can and must change.

Currently, there are proposals in Springfield that could give us, the people of Belvidere, the ability to examine and potentially consolidate redundant units of government.

Consolidation may help ensure that YOUR taxpayer dollars are being used as efficiently as possible. It is a conversation that merits everyone’s attention.

More efficiency could mean the freeing up of more dollars to spend on important things like education and infrastructure.

I was elected to serve you, not the other way around.

The control of this community needs to belong to you – the taxpayers and residents of Belvidere.

Join me in contacting our state legislators … Representative Joe Sosnowski, Representative Robert Pritchard, and State Senator Dave Syverson … to continue the fight to stop Springfield from dictating how our tax dollars are spent. Share with them your support for bipartisan efforts to give local governments the ability to streamline and share services.

Give US the power to decide OUR futures.