Morton Grove trustees responded to state political developments at the April 27 Village Board meeting, passing both a resolution to protect the funds the village receives from the state and a resolution responding to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda.” Morton Grove affirmed it wants local control at the village level and rejected state-mandated laws that cost the village money to enforce.
Four union members from across the Chicagoland area attended the meeting, and some urged the village not to support the elements of Gov. Rauner’s agenda which would make union membership optional for employees in union shops. Union members have been visiting Village Board meetings of towns throughout Chicagoland in the past two weeks to make their case against Rauner’s agenda, particularly the portion known as “right to work” laws, saying the governor’s proposal would drastically reduce pay and on-the-job safety for workers.
However, Terry Liston, Morton Grove’s village attorney, said the village’s two resolutions urged the state not to reduce the funds it currently provides to the village, nor to require the village to enforce state laws which do not come with funding from the state. The resolutions don’t touch on the right-to-work laws.
“The village does not take a stand on any part of the Governor’s budget except that we oppose cuts to the LGDF (Local Government Distributive Fund), any additional unfunded mandates and erosion of the village’s rights to decide local issues,” she said after the meeting.
The state distributes a portion of state income tax revenue into the Local Government Distributive fund, and it’s earmarked for municipalities such as Morton Grove.
That fund has proven over the years to be a reliable source of the funding the village needs to provide services such as police, fire, snow plowing, street repair, etc., said Ryan Horne, the village administrator.
“The Rauner proposed budget for 2016 would reduce the funding by 50 percent and would impact the village’s ability to provide the current level of…services,” Horne said.
Such a cut could require the village to reduce services or raise property taxes to make up the difference in funding.
Village trustees unanimously passed the resolution urging the state to keep funds flowing to the village, then turned their attention to the resolution on Rauner’s budget proposals, including those which would weaken unions.
Kevin Burke, a union member from LaGrange, noted that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has ruled that “right to work zones” are illegal.
Michael O’Connor of Glenview, also a union member, said, “Right to work laws result in a decline in wages; that leads to a reduction in the tax revenues those incomes provide.”
Another union representative, Richard Fahey, cited research by Robert Bruno at University of Illinois Chicago indicating that since Indiana has implemented right-to-work laws, the poverty level has increased by 29 percent.
Trustee Maria Toth commented that she wanted to make sure that the measure to be voted on did not support all of Rauner’s agenda.
“Correct,” said DiMaria. “It verifies local control. There are a lot of points in it we don’t support.”
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The Village Board then voted unanimously for the resolution which affirmed local control.
Trustee John Pietron lamented that the state’s fiscal situation has gotten as bad as it has, laying some of the blame at Wall Street’s feet.
“It’s the average person paying the price for it. It’s unfortunate it has to happen,” he said.
Pam DeFiglio is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.