TINLEY PARK- Illinois will now be able to tackle consolidating more than 7,000 units of government.  

Senate Bill 3 which allows counties to dissolve certain units of local government through a voter referendum was signed into law today.

State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) championed the new law to help south suburban taxpayers find property tax savings and update government services.

“The goal is to make sure government is working for the people,” Hastings said. “Eliminating redundant and ineffective units of government will result in better services and lower property tax bills.”

Senate Bill 3 expands the ability of townships to consolidate and create greater efficiencies for taxpayers. The plan allows adjacent townships to merge, allows townships to take over the duties of smaller township road districts, removes the current cap on township size and allows voters to approve the dissolution of townships that are coterminous with a municipality.

Illinois currently has more units of government than any other state in the nation. Hastings believes updating outdated government bodies will help streamline services.

“This is one small step we can take to reduce taxes without sacrificing the quality of government service,” Hastings said.

Senate Bill 3 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. The measure will go into effect on January 1, 2018.