The South Lake Mosquito Abatement District could merge with a neighboring mosquito abatement district, a move that has garnered support from all the municipalities currently served by the SLMAD and one board member who had previously pushed for the district’s dissolution.
In August, the Lake County Board voted 18-1 in favor of an ordinance proposing the dissolution of SLMAD. Board members argued it was a way to eliminate a redundant municipality, with Illinois having more units of government than any other state in the country.
More Top Picks Best Circular Saws
The move was supported by SLMAD trustee Kim Stone, who, in a letter, criticized the district for being “largely unknown” and “unaccountable” to the public, with no professional staff and poor management. The district also has no staff, utilizing only contractors.
“The contractor gets paid to do what they advise us to do, and then the contractor gets paid to do what they advise us to do,” Stone said.
At the time, she argued mosquito management would be “better accomplished” by professional staff at the county or municipal level and should be led by public health experts, not “volunteer residents.”
While Stone hasn’t rescinded her previous criticisms, she said she believed the better path forward would be to merge the district with the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District. She said after speaking with SLMAD’s municipalities and touring NSMAD’s facilities, she saw the need for some form of regional mosquito control.
SLMAD’s most recent meeting documents included letters from Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, Riverwoods, and Highwood, all voicing support for consolidation, and Stone said the board supports moving forward with the effort.
“It eliminates a unit of government and reduces the financial burden on our residents, while continuing to provide mosquito abatement services to protect public health,” Stone said. “It is a win-win situation and seems like the clear path forward to me.”
One of Stone’s concerns has been using fewer chemicals whenever possible for mosquito management, and she said she was “very impressed” with NSMAD’s work and commitment to using lower toxicity chemicals.”
Mark Clifton, executive director of NSMAD, said they were in support of the move. He said consolidation would reduce the tax levy for residents in SLMAD and remove a municipality, all while continuing to address rising concerns around mosquito-borne illnesses that have made their way north.
“The only way you can do that work is through an entity that spans multiple jurisdictions,” Clifton said.
While mosquito abatement districts have faced criticisms for being antiquated and redundant, Clifton argued they are “more important than they’ve ever been.”
While the legal aspects of consolidation could be completed fairly swiftly, Clifton said taking over the additional territory would take several years. NSMAD will have to honor the existing contract in Lake County while it builds its capacity and creates detailed maps of the area to locate potential hatching areas.