Prairie State Wire

Blaine Wilhour, a state representative for Illinois House District 107, has expressed concerns about the state's nearly 8,000 units of government. He said that these units burden taxpayers and remain largely unreformed due to opposition from powerful interest groups.

"We've got almost 8,000 units of government in, in the state," said Blaine Jacob Wilhour, State Representative from Illinois. "That's more than Texas and California. That's sucking the taxpayers dry. You're gonna get some very powerful pushback from very well-funded special interest groups."

Illinois leads the nation in the number of local government units, totaling 6,930 as of 2022. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, this figure far exceeds those in other large states, such as Texas with 5,343 and California with 4,494. Experts argue that this fragmentation contributes to inefficiencies and elevated property taxes due to overlapping administrative costs and duplicate services.

The nearly 7,000 local government units in Illinois include municipalities, counties, townships, school districts, and various special-purpose districts. The Illinois Policy Institute indicates that this abundance of governing bodies has driven up administrative costs and increased property taxes for residents. Reform advocates have called for consolidation to streamline operations and reduce taxpayer burdens.

Despite having larger populations and geographic areas than Illinois, Texas and California operate with significantly fewer local government units—5,343 and 4,494 respectively. The St. Louis Federal Reserve's data comparison has prompted discussions about whether Illinois’ excess of governmental bodies hampers efficiency and drives unnecessary costs. This data underscores Illinois’ uniquely layered governance structure.

Wilhour is a legislator who has represented Illinois’ 110th District in the House of Representatives since January 2019. According to the Illinois General Assembly, he is a farmer, business owner, and military veteran who served in the Illinois Army National Guard. He is known for advocating government downsizing, increased transparency, and opposition to expansive state spending.