GODFREY – Voters in the Village of Godfrey chose to abolish their township by a wide margin Tuesday evening to no surprise for Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick
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Godfrey is one of 22 municipalities inside Illinois with township borders concurrent with the borders of the municipality. In fact, the borders of that township were used to incorporate Godfrey a little less than three decades ago. With the borders of the township and village being the same, a recent Illinois law would allow voters to abolish their townships if they met that factor. Alton also had a similar measure on its ballot, but chose instead to keep its township.
“I was shocked Alton did not pass it,” McCormick said early Wednesday afternoon.
McCormick said he was unsure how the process would continue, adding lawyers were currently working on the process of abolishing the township. He said he was still not 100 percent about what would happen next, but said the township should be completely dissolved by May 2019.
When the township is dissolved, McCormick said services such as welfare and the tax assessor's office will be absorbed by the village itself. He added folks would not have to travel to Edwardsville for their benefits, which is a worry some believe prevented Alton from abolishing its township.
In fact, McCormick believes dissolving the township will only benefit taxpayers in Godfrey, adding it was an additional line of taxation no longer on their property tax bills and it is another layer of government destroyed, which can no longer increase tax rates. He also said the pay and benefits of township employees would count toward the overall savings.
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