Normal, IL, USA / www.cities929.com
Jul 20, 2021 | 2:43 PM
(The Center Square) – A popular sentiment from Illinois residents south of the Chicago metropolitan area is that they would be better off if the city either floated off into Lake Michigan or became its own state. While they might see a more politically aligned Legislature, they would see a world of budgetary problems after losing the economic engine that a city of that size represents.
Using revenue data from before and during Illinois’ multi-year budget stalemate, researchers at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale analyzed the give and take between respective counties and the state. They used budget data from the 2014 and 2016 fiscal years, reflecting the time before and amid the state’s budget stalemate that saw distributions to universities and other major state institutions languish.