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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Transportation infrastructure is critical to the | ||||||
| 3 | economy and future growth of Illinois; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Local roads comprise over 88% of the State's | ||||||
| 5 | public road mileage, carrying around 40% of statewide traffic; | ||||||
| 6 | and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Transportation projects have traditionally been | ||||||
| 8 | paid for with user fees, including gas taxes and vehicle | ||||||
| 9 | registration charges; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Among the various grants awarded to local | ||||||
| 11 | governments is the Needy Township program; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, The Needy Township program once provided $10 | ||||||
| 13 | million annually to townships and road districts that levy the | ||||||
| 14 | maximum tax rate allowed but still lack adequate revenue to | ||||||
| 15 | meet a minimum per-mile funding level; the Illinois Department | ||||||
| 16 | of Transportation determines eligible townships and assistance | ||||||
| 17 | based on a district's equalized assessed value of all | ||||||
| 18 | properties, annual average MFT distribution per mile, and | ||||||
| 19 | average maintenance; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Department of Transportation reduced | ||||||
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| 1 | the Needy Township allocation by almost half after the FY18 | ||||||
| 2 | budget was enacted; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Other grants to local governments were reduced by | ||||||
| 4 | almost $50 million statewide; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, These reductions follow a decades long trend by | ||||||
| 6 | the State of reducing funding to local road districts; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, The deterioration of local roads is contributing | ||||||
| 8 | to the economic problems of Illinois; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Local roads generated tax revenue and economic | ||||||
| 10 | growth for the State of Illinois; therefore, be it
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| 11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 12 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 13 | we urge the Illinois Department of Transportation to consider | ||||||
| 14 | that a higher percentage of all new revenues and new | ||||||
| 15 | transportation investments be distributed for local roads; and | ||||||
| 16 | be it further
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| 17 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 18 | delivered to the Secretary of Transportation and the Governor.
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