2007 LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
Guiding Principles and Priorities
Adopted January 23, 2007
BACOG GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
- Protect local government revenues. Protect local governments from additional risk, liability and unfunded state mandates.
- Support local and regional land use planning and zoning and the implementation of such plans and regulations without disruption.
- Preserve local government decision-making and the right to self-determination.
- Support additional permissive authorities for townships and non-home rule municipalities. Oppose reduction or pre-emption of the powers and authority of local government.
- Preserve, protect and enhance environmental resources and open space.
- Promote good government and the protection of public health and safety.
BACOG PRIORITIES:
1. Fund Groundwater Research and Protection Efforts. Support initiatives and funding for state and local governments that are engaged in research, mapping, modeling, analysis, policy development and public education towards a sustainable and safe water supply, and for groundwater measurement programs, especially efforts focused on the shallow aquifers of the northwest suburban area and BACOG region.
2. Clarify Municipal Authority to Apply Comprehensive Plan to Jurisdictional Planning Areas. Support clarifications to the Illinois Municipal Code's Division regarding the applicability of a comprehensive plan to land within the 1½ mile municipal planning area in relation to regulations of the county. Would make language consistent throughout the Division and eliminate ambiguity about the scope of municipal planning authority. Would support governmental districts' planning for growth and growth-related infrastructure and services at municipal borders.
3. Re-define "Catastrophic Injury" for Police and Fire Employees. Re-define the term "catastrophic injury" in the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act to be consistent with the federal act. The definition would provide that employer-paid health insurance benefits are available only to an individual who, through an injury suffered in the line of duty, is permanently unable to perform any gainful work. Currently, employees collecting a duty disability pension, but otherwise eligible for gainful employment, have their health insurance paid by their former municipal employer.
4. Control Publicly-funded Benefits and Costs for Police and Fire and Oppose DROP. Oppose any proposed Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) in municipal police and fire pension funds that would allow employees to "double dip" by collecting their full salary, pension and fringe benefits for five years before they retire. DROP would have a severe financial impact on municipal governments and taxpayers, and it is not employer-optional but instead is subject to adoption by local union-controlled police and fire pension boards.
5. Strengthen Local Governments Control of and Access to Telecommunications. Oppose any federal or state telecommunications proposal that would limit the benefits of video competition, threaten local revenues, take away local governments' right to manage local rights-of-way, turn over customer service, or transfer general authorities to federal or state government. Also support equal taxation of Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone services in any state or federal legislation, in order to provide a level playing field for all telecom providers. Also support guaranteed VOIP connections to Emergency 911.
6. Support for the Extension of Route 53. Support funding for the Highway 53 Extension to Route 120 in Lake County, with appropriate environmental and aesthetic measures, to relieve traffic congestion in central Lake County, Route 12, and adjacent areas.
7. Amend the Affordable Housing Act. Support defining the standard of review to be used by the State Appeals Board, so that an appeal may be made only where the local government has arbitrarily and unjustly denied a proposed affordable housing development primarily to prohibit affordable housing in the community. Currently, a local action to deny or place conditions on a development which contains an affordable housing element could be appealed, even if it was treated the same as any other housing development and was justified by reasonable zoning and development regulations. Support additional language that addresses issues of infrastructure, water supply, sewer, septic and land use controls.
8. Authorize Municipalities to Enact Design Review Ordinances. Support amending the Illinois Municipal Code to expressly authorize municipalities to enact design and architectural review ordinances. Although state statutory language expressly recognizes that a purpose of zoning is the protection of aesthetic aspects of communities, recent Illinois appellate court decisions found such design review ordinances invalid. This ambiguity also will cause expenditure of public moneys to defend ordinances in court.
9. Support Modifications to Disconnection Legislation. Support refocusing disconnection law, in order to maintain stability of municipal boundaries, continue regional intergovernmental cooperation and planning, strengthen local government's ability to implement local comprehensive plans, and carry out planned development.
10. Support for Legislation for Development Impact Fees. Support enabling legislation to establish parameters, limitations and fee calculation methodology for municipal impact fee programs to benefit schools, parks, library, and fire/rescue districts. Support a statute of limitations on fee refunds; fees for capital and buildings as well as land acquisition; fees for commercial and industrial uses; and no limitations on negotiated annexation impact fees.
11. Authority to Take a Position on a Referendum. Support changes to the state ethics act and election code allowing local officials the option of speaking out on a proposition appearing on an election ballot and providing information and arguments in connection with a proposition. Would allow elected officials, acting in the public interest, more freedom to take positions on issues of direct concern to their residents and which impact the local government.
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