Stateline (WIFR) – Illinois leads the country with its units of government. According to the 2017 U.S. Census, the state boasts 7,000 layers – stretching from villages, to cities, to school boards.
One of those layers is the township: the oldest existing unit in North America (which started in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1636.
Illinois law has three responsibilities for townships: maintain 71,000 miles of roads/bridges, assess properties and provide financial relief to the poor. Governor JB Pritzker argues the unit of government doesn’t benefit taxpayers…