R-1710 - 03/13/2018 - DUMM - Resolutions Supporting DocumentsBOT AGENDA Page 1
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
SAMUEL E. DEAN BOARD ROOM
BUTLER GOVERNMENT CENTER
1200 OAK BROOK ROAD
OAK BROOK, ILLINOIS
630-368-5000
AGENDA ITEM
Regular Board of Trustees Meeting
of
March 13, 2018
SUBJECT: DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference 2018 Legislative Positions
FROM: Riccardo Ginex, Village Manager
BUDGET SOURCE/BUDGET IMPACT: N/A
RECOMMENDED MOTION: Motion to approve Resolution 2018-DMMC-LP-R-1710, A
Resolution Adopting the 2018 Legislative Positions and Priorities of the DuPage Mayors and
Managers Conference.
Background/History:
The DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference’s 2018 Legislative Action Program which is
attached, includes the following listed legislative priorities:
1. Ensuring Sustainable Municipal Budgets
2. Supporting a Financially Sustainable Public Safety Pension System
3. Preserving Local Authority
4. Empowering Local Taxpayers Regardless of Population
5.Reforming the Workers’ Compensation Act to Prevent Abuse
a)Ensure employers receive credit for permanency payments on subsequent
injuries to body parts that are compensated as man-as-a-whole
b) Equate permanent loss of the shoulder to loss of use of the arm
c) Require arbitrators to adhere to guidelines from the American Medical
Association
The Village has in the past adopted the legislative positions of the DuPage Mayors and
Managers Conference and the Illinois Municipal League (as expressed in their respective
Legislative Action Program and in other legislative positions taken in the course of the
legislative session) as Village policy through adoption of formal resolutions to that effect.
Recommendation:
In order to provide appropriate guidance to our Legislators and Village staff, I encourage the
Board to adopt the legislative positions expressed by the DuPage Mayors and Managers
Conference in its 2018 Legislative Action Program (LAP) and during the session via the
attached resolution.
Item 6.D.1
DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference | 1220 Oak Brook Road | Oak Brook, IL
For more information on DMMC’s legislative priorities, visit www.dmmc-cog.org
Serving Residents of DuPage and Illinois
DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference
2018 Legislative Action Program
epresenting more than one million residents by advocating for sound public policy initiatives, the DuPage
Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC) strives to promote municipal government, foster
intergovernmental cooperation, and find innovative solutions to make local government work more effectively
for DuPage residents and ultimately all citizens of Illinois. DMMC’s legislative priorities for 2018 include:
Ensuring Sustainable Municipal Budgets
Making sure that revenue generated by local residents and businesses stays local is crucial
to preserving vital municipal services like police and fire protection, garbage pick-up, road
maintenance, and snow removal. DMMC communities, as well as those throughout the
state, rely on these revenue streams—including Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) dollars—that are
collected by the state and returned to municipal governments to pay for essential services. By protecting all
state-collected local revenue streams, legislators help ensure municipalities can deliver basic services and
necessary staffing to residents.
LGDF has been an essential
component of local operating
budgets for 50 years, especially as
municipalities have been making
sacrifices to reduce expenditures.
Cities, villages and counties rely
on more than $1 billion per year
to provide essential services,
including public safety, that
preserve residents’ quality of life.
Reducing LGDF dollars would shift the
state’s financial burden onto
municipalities, forcing service cuts, police
and fire layoffs and local property tax
increases.
Supporting a Financially Sustainable Public Safety Pension System
DMMC is part of a statewide coalition advocating for reforms aimed at preserving public
safety pensions for local police officers and firefighters while reducing the burden on
municipalities and taxpayers. Without cutting benefits, consolidating the 663 municipal
public safety pension funds into a single multiple-employer pension system would expand investment
opportunities and lower operational expenses for those who serve our communities. In addition, DMMC
supports repealing or amending a law that was passed in 2011 and that requires municipalities to fund
pensions to a level of 90 percent, amortized to 2040, or risk having local revenue withheld by the state.
Without these reforms and more, the costs of public safety pensions will continue to rise, further shifting the
financial burden onto municipalities and forcing cuts in basic services or increases in local property taxes.
A consolidated structure would
resemble the Illinois Municipal
Retirement Fund, which serves
more than 420,000 members and
retirees and nearly 3,000 local units
of government.
Consolidation should pass
constitutional muster, reduce the
unfunded pension liability and
help prevent municipalities from
having to raise property taxes to
cover escalating pension costs.
Municipal public safety pension systems
are unsustainable. The challenges faced
by municipalities are compounded by
the passage of pension sweeteners as
well as changes to the mortality table
and other actuarial standards.
R
DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference | 1220 Oak Brook Road | Oak Brook, IL
For more information on DMMC’s legislative priorities, visit www.dmmc-cog.org
Preserving Local Authority
The ability for municipalities to govern themselves and make decisions at the local level is
the most effective way they can fully serve the unique needs of their residents and
communities. Issues such as franchising, zoning, permitting and licensing, local code
enforcement and regulating business activities are the fundamental responsibilities of local governments . The
ability to make decisions to raise and expend municipal funds is vital for government to provide for and
protect the health, safety, and welfare of local residents. Policies limiting that decision-making authority
make for less efficient and costlier government and services.
Locally elected leaders are best
equipped to set local policy because
they live in the communities they
represent and have daily interaction
with the constituents they serve.
In some cases, legislation and
mandates can restrict a local
government’s ability to do what’s
right for residents and businesses.
Local government is closest to the
people. Illinois cities and villages
should operate independently with
local elected officials representing the
best interests of their constituents
and answering to their needs.
Empowering Local Taxpayers Regardless of Population
Municipalities should have the ability to respond to constituent needs and govern themselves,
regardless of their population. Removing the distinction between home rule and non-home
rule communities would eliminate the barriers of non-home rule authority, giving all
municipalities crucial local control and decision-making ability. This reform would also provide access to
restricted dollars to fund critical services like police and fire protection, infrastructure repairs and economic
development. Non-home rule communities make up approximately half of the municipalities in DuPage and
approximately 83 percent of those in Illinois. Expanding the limited authority of citizens in non -home rule
municipalities would allow local governments to provide solutions to their individual issues without requiring
additional state attention or resources.
Removing the home-rule distinction
for communities with fewer than
25,000 residents would allow
greater ability to implement policies
that include state funding
alternatives and economic
development incentives.
Home rule municipalities have the
ability to access existing tax revenue
from hotel/motel stays, sales
transactions, car rentals, natural gas
utilities and other sources, which can
be spent on local priorities.
This reform would also enable all
communities to license landlords and
implement inspection of dwellings,
which home rule municipalities
employ to protect the health, safety
and welfare of local residents.
Reforming the Workers’ Compensation Act to Prevent Abuse
Workers’ compensation reforms would create economic opportunity and jobs to make
Illinois more competitive with surrounding states. Adopting common-sense changes would
lead to more reasonable settlements without harming employees who have legitimate
claims. Modest reforms would better protect workers and enable employers to expand,
relocate and grow their businesses.
Establishing standards to ensure
that an injury or illness is directly
linked to the work or the workplace
would be fair to workers and
businesses.
Lower costs brought about by these
reforms would save significant
taxpayer dollars.
The workers’ compensation system
must be fixed to ensure local
government benefits continue to be
available for those employees who
have legitimate claims.
RESOLUTION 2018-DMMC-LP-EX1-R-1710
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2018 LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS
AND PRIORITIES OF THE DU PAGE MAYORS AND MANAGERS CONFERENCE
WHEREAS, the Village of Oak Brook is a member of the DuPage Mayors and Managers
Conference (Conference); and
WHEREAS, the Conference develops its annual Legislative Action Program with the goal of
establishing a comprehensive platform on legislative issues in order to protect and benefit the interests of
its member municipalities, residents and businesses in these municipalities, and the region generally; and
WHEREAS, at its meeting on January 17, 2018 the Conference voted unanimously to adopt its
2018 Legislative Action Program, attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the Village of Oak Brook will be individually benefited by formally establishing positions
on legislative issues affecting municipalities, thereby giving clear direction to officials and employees of the
Village of Oak Brook regarding legislative positions that may be represented in official capacity or on behalf
of the municipality.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF
THE VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK, DU PAGE AND COOK COUNTIES, ILLINOIS as follows:
Section 1: The provisions of the preamble hereinabove set forth are hereby adopted as though fully
set forth herein.
Section 2: The positions and priorities advanced by the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference
for the 2018 Legislative Session and as expressed by the Conference in its 2018 Legislative Action Program
are hereby adopted, with the exception that the Village of Oak Brook opposes the issue of “Empowering
Local Taxpayers Regardless of Population” in regard to non-home rule communities’ authority.
Section 3: A copy of this Resolution be forwarded to area legislators.
Section 4: The Village Board may, at any time, upon the concurring vote of four trustees, move to
take exception with any position of the Conference on any matter.
Section 5: This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval as
provided by law.
APPROVED THIS 13th day of March, 2018.
Gopal G. Lalmalani
Village President
Resolution 2018-DMMC-LP-R-1710
DuPage Mayors & Managers
Page 2 of 2
PASSED THIS 13th day of March, 2018.
Ayes:
Nays:
Absent:
ATTEST:
Charlotte K. Pruss
Village Clerk