Carroll Cracks Down on Loophole That Encourages Double-Dipping

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Fighting to bring greater trust and accountability to local government, state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, is sponsoring legislation that would crack down on pension-earning politicians who collect more than one taxpayer-funded salary.

 “Illinois has an egregious history of its politicians collecting numerous pensions and salaries that are covered by taxpayers,” said Carroll. “Because of that self-serving behavior, many people do not trust their officials to make the right choices and not double-dip, but my bill addresses that mistrust head-on.”

Carroll’s Senate Bill 1236 would end a loophole in state law that some elected officials have exploited for additional taxpayer compensation. His bipartisan bill states that if an elected official currently collects pension benefits from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund then that same person is barred from taking any and all forms of taxpayer-funded salaries. This legislation is another measure in Carroll’s efforts to hold government accountable and control property taxes.

“Middle-class families cannot force their neighbors to supplement their income through a loophole, and so they should not be on the hook for a politician’s salary when they do not even realize that they are paying for it,” said Carroll. “Families deserve better from their government and those who were chosen to run it. Legislative reforms like these are precisely why we need to continue focusing on bipartisan efforts to rein in government abuse and mistrust.”