CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Approve the 2024 legislative priorities
body
DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
SUBMITTED BY: Marcie Schatz, Assistant to the City Manager
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
DISCUSSION:
The City will be renewing and increasing its legislative focus in 2024 and have set the following goals:
1. Strengthen relationships and regularly communicate priorities with the 14 state legislators representing the City
2. Actively leverage and collaborate with regional partners including DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC), Illinois Municipal League (IML), Pension Fairness for Illinois Coalition (PFIC), Will County Governmental League (WCGL), and Illinois Municipal Utility Agency (IMUA)
3. Work with community partners including the Chamber of Commerce
4. Formalize capital requests for state and federal grant opportunities
5. Identify the appropriate scope and opportunities for future lobbyist engagement
6. Actively monitor and support/oppose legislation
In addition to regional partnership organizations, City staff leverages professional organizations for research and legislative efforts including, but not limited to:
1. IACP (Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police)
2. IFCA (Illinois Fire Chiefs Association)
3. APPA (American Public Power Association)
4. AWWA (American Water Works Association)
5. APWA (America Public Works Association)
6. APA (American Planning Association)
Priorities
In reviewing legislative priorities for 2024, staff considered operational challenges, priorities of partner organizations that are specifically applicable to Naperville, opportunities to decrease costs, increase revenues, or increase efficiency, and risk mitigation. The following priorities are recommended for 2024:
1. Sustainable public pensions
Protect public pension systems and the taxpayers that fund them. The costs of any proposed changes must be clearly understood and considered. Any changes should be directly linked to solving a pension problem.
2. Restore the Local Governmental Distributive Fund (LGDF) to 10%
The current local government share is 6.47% of individual income tax collections and 6.845% of corporate income tax collections. Restoring the LGDF to the original rate of 10% reduces stress on property taxes and supports funding of critical City services including public safety, public works, and technology.
3. Erosion of Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) dollars
At 27 electric vehicles per 1,000 residents, Naperville has four times the state and national average number of electric vehicles. With this increase in electric vehicles, state and local MFT dollars continue to diminish and replacement revenues are necessary to fund roadway maintenance.
4. Open Meetings Act/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• Permit meetings to be held remotely at the discretion of local officials
• Address burdensome FOIA requests for police body camera footage of arrests
5. Support electronic publication of statutorily mandated postings
Fulfill any statutorily mandated newspaper posting requirement by providing notice on the City’s website and an online searchable database independent from the municipality.
6. Support municipal immunity from liability for cyberattacks
Remove the liability of municipalities when a cyberattack occurs and ensure critical local services are protected.
In addition to these specific priorities, City staff follows these general principles regarding submitting positions on bills:
1. Oppose unfunded mandates
2. Oppose legislation that usurps existing municipal authority
3. Oppose proposals that erode the municipal revenue base
4. Oppose home rule restrictions and exemptions
Additional potential priorities
Staff continues to research and work with partner organizations on two additional potential legislative priorities.
1. Increasing the penalty for fleeing and eluding from a misdemeanor to a felony
The Police Department has experienced a continued increase in fleeing and eluding cases from 28 in 2019 to 137 in 2023.
2. Future regional public transportation planning, funding, and service
Affordable and convenient public transportation is critical to the community. The RTA highlights funding, governance, and planning challenges of sustaining the current public transportation network.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Legislation dependent.