From Wonder Lake’s Bob Anderson comes this lletter to the Editor
Why tiny townships don’t add up, should be dissolved.
Eye on townships with fewer than 500 residents, Illinois has 362 such townships.
One example would be Clark County with a population of 15,229 and has 15 townships, 8 have fewer than 500 residents,
Douglas Township with 166 residents has the fewest.
These townships are out of date 1800s government bodies, have virtually zero oversight, and no longer deliver their two duties of property assessments and general assistance aid.
1* Property Assessment: In townships with less than 500 residents property is assessed by township multi-township assessment districts assessors or by the county.
2* General Assistance: The townships with less than 500 residents do not have qualified candidates for aid and continue to levy more money when they have illegal fund balances.
Example of township with less than 500 residents: Dolson Township, Clark County, has 351 residents.
Of the townships’ expenses of $203,532 in 2025 37.22%, was for roads and 48.63% was spent on Administration.
Only $600 was spent for General Assistance which has a Fund Balance of $64,000, enough to last 106,666 years.
General Assembly legislative action is needed to eliminate Illinois’ 362 township opportunities of local government theft, waste, fraud, abuse & kickback schemes.
Representative Joe Sonsowski’s HB 4625 will accomplish this.
Theft Example, Dolson Township with 351 residents: Clerk Kimberly Gable pleaded guilty to Official Misconduct, a class 3 felony and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
She stole more than $168,000. The township’s expenses in 2025 were $202,532. Gable spent the money on personal expenses.
No one with a sensible mind could think it reasonable to have a unit of government for just 500 residents.
Take action, contact your state representative to sign on as a sponsor of Representative Joe Sosnowski’s HB 4625.
