ALTON – What happens if the Alton Township is dissolved?
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That is a question residents of Alton may face if they vote for the dissolution of the township this November. Under recent Illinois legislation, townships which are co-terminus (share the same borders as the municipality) are eligible to be dissolved through a vote. Both Alton and Godfrey are such townships. Of the 1,432 townships in Illinois, only 22 are able to be dissolved. Other co-terminus townships include Champaign, Peoria and Belleville, which legislated to dissolve its township around four years ago, shortly after state law allowed it.
Current Alton Township Supervisor Don Huber said his office, with a staff of two, works to provide general assistance to residents through rent and utility aid. If the township were to be dissolved, he said those responsibilities would go to the city itself, ultimately with the aim of saving taxpayers' money. Huber said Altonians may save upwards of $100 a year on their taxes if the movement passes, depending on their home values.
If it does pass, though, Huber said he is not sure what happens next.
“This is the first time for this, so there are a lot of question marks about what transition will look like, and it is not clearly defined, and there is not precedent,” Huber said. “I'm in the fortunate position in which I can retire. I'm personally not voting for it, because I want my staff to keep their jobs, because they're good at them.”
Huber said he did not know if his staff would get new jobs within the City of Alton to continue their general assistance programs. He also said he did not know if the township would be absolved within the next year if it passes, or at the end of his term in 2021.
“I have no qualms about people voting against it, but I will be surprised if it doesn't pass,” he said. “The effort to abolish townships may pass, because people do want less governments in their lives.”
As a political science major, Huber said he could see why people would want to abolish their townships. He said a township like Alton has a full-time supervisor on salary. If the township remains after the vote, Huber said he expects future supervisors to get a cut in their pay and hours.
“Alton has a full-time township supervisor,” he said. “Godfrey is trying to abolish theirs, and they have a part-time person who makes about $8,000 a year or so. I make significantly more than that. If they don't eliminate the township, I could see them slashing the supervisor's salary and making it part-time at least.”
Voters in Alton will be able to have a say in the township's future this November, or sooner if they vote early.
