Lilly Sponsors Measure to Bring Accountability to Governor’s Office

CHICAGO – State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly, D-Chicago, is demanding Gov. Rauner stop offshoring his employees’ salaries onto human service agencies and be more transparent in his office’s hiring practices.

“Governor Rauner, like many governors before him, has put the costs of his high-salaried employees on the back of human service agencies to falsely claim he is saving taxpayers’ money,” said Lilly. “This practice of offshoring employees from one department to another shifts the financial responsibility from his office to a state agency, jeopardizing vital services that our most vulnerable people rely on.”

Lilly is backing House Bill 5121, an initiative from Comptroller Suzanna Mendoza, which abolishes any governor’s ability to offshore their employees onto a state agency. The tactic executed by past governors, both Democrat and Republican, creates the illusion that governors are responsibly cutting spending. As Rauner tries to hide his political hires and the cost of his office’s operations, Lilly’s bill would end this practice and bring much needed transparency and accountability to Illinois government.

“If the governor were honestly reporting all the people working in his office, he would have to disclose his office budget is more than $10 million, instead of the $4.9 million that is budgeted for the current fiscal year,” said IL Comptroller Suzanna Mendoza. “That’s more than $5 million being taken away from agencies that need it, like the Department of Children and Family Services that investigates child abuse; or the Department of Aging that cares for Illinois’ seniors.”

Lilly represents the 78th District, which includes parts of Chicago, Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Oak Park, Melrose Park and River Grove. If you need to contact her office, please call 708-613-5939 or email her at StateRepCamilleYLilly@gmail.com.