Title
Resolution accepting the Lake County Commission on Government Reform and Accountability Final Report and providing for the appointment of members to the Lake County Government Reform Implementation Committee.
Staff Summary
• The Lake County Board approved the creation of a Lake County Commission on Government Reform and Accountability at its March 10, 2017 meeting and appointed its members on April 11, 2017.
• The bipartisan commission, whose members represented diverse perspectives and backgrounds, held eight meetings in 2017 to review and discuss information about the election of the county board chair, the size of the county board, independent redistricting and other relevant topics, and has submitted a report of its recommendations to the Lake County Board.
• The Lake County Board accepts this report and establishes an Ad Hoc Government Reform Implementation Committee to further examine and implement the recommendations submitted by the Commission.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Lake County Board approved the creation of a Lake County Commission on Government Reform and Accountability (LCCGRA) at its March 10, 2017 meeting and appointed its members on April 11, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the bi-partisan Commission, which represented thought leaders from across Lake County and the region, met eight times in 2017 and conducted in-depth research, heard from distinguished experts, and participated in an extensive dialogue about the topics they were challenged to explore, as well as other topics that deserved additional consideration; and
WHEREAS, the Commission concluded that the County functions well and it has the opportunity to be a leader in establishing an independent redistricting commission and serve as model for government reform as the only county in Illinois to embark on this, and joining only three other counties in the country to do so; and
WHEREAS, in its Final Report (attached), the Commission outlines 12 recommendations, as summarized in Attachment A of this resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Commission was specifically charged with the following responsibilities:
1) Analyze state and county governments that have transitioned to an independent redistricting system by evaluating the governance structure, methodology, implementation and outcomes and utilize information from proposals, such as the Illinois Independent Map Amendment;
2) Study similar counties that transitioned to a countywide elected chairman by identifying key issues, including board rules, challenges, opportunities and decisions that were made to enhance the stated goals of this resolution. Identify best practices and policies used to balance authority between the Lake County Board, Chairman and County Administrator. Prioritize models that ensure strong accountability by elected leaders to the public; maintain strong professional standards; and set high ethical standards as well as safeguards that are in line with the spirit and intent of Lake County’s Ethics Ordinance and Standards of Conduct;
3) Examine, assess and report similar counties’ efforts to reduce the size of the board. Identify positive and negative impacts on efficiency, constituent services, policy decisions and compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act; and
4) Provide opportunities for stakeholders and the public to share ideas on additional reforms that could be studied in the future; and
WHEREAS, the Lake County Board Chairman requests that the Lake County Board accept this report and create the ad hoc "Government Reform Implementation Committee" pursuant to the County Board Rules of Order and Operational Procedures for the purpose of evaluating, studying and implementing those recommendations submitted in the LCCGRA report that the County Board determines are in the best interest of Lake County and its residents; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Chairman recommends the membership consist of the leadership of all County Board committees and requests Lake County Board approval of the following committee membership (Attachment D):
- Aaron Lawlor, Chair
- Vance Wyatt, Vice Chair
- Carol Calabresa
- Steve Carlson
- Mary Ross Cunningham
- Diane Hewitt
- Sidney Mathias
- Ann Maine
- Linda Pedersen
- Michael Rummel
- Tom Weber
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Chairman will convene the Government Reform Implementation Committee as often as deemed necessary and in consultation with committee members, and not less than monthly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Government Reform Implementation Committee will function pursuant to the County Board Rules of Order and Operational Procedures and will submit its final findings and recommendations to the County Board for its consideration and action; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Lake County Board sincerely thanks the members of the Commission on Government Reform and Accountability for their dedication, commitment and contributions to the final report submitted to the County Board and the successful completion of their work.
DATED at Waukegan, Illinois, on January 16, 2018.