Whenever the subject of budget or taxes is discussed in Evanston, one word seems to be on everyone's lips: pensions. While opinions of the current financial "crisis" vary, it cannot be denied that without some kind of reform, Evanston taxpayers will experience a continuing rise in property tax burden with a concurrent shrinking in amounts of City services provided. Whether you believe the current unfunded pension liability in Evanston is the fault of the State, of actions of previous City Councils, of politically-connected unions, or of some combination of the three, it cannot be denied that something has got to give.

The bottom line is that the current pension funding model is both unsustainable and most definitely not under the control of any local government, such as the City of Evanston. Under existing Illinois State legislation, Evanston taxpayers must make up an unfunded pension liability of somewhere between $150 and $175 million by 2033. Some estimate that, taken en masse, each individual Illinois taxpayer is currently on the hook for somewhere between $11,000 and $15,000 in unfunded pension liabilities.

Unless elected officials in Springfield recognize and address the issue, the unfunded liability will continue to spiral out of control, along with our tax liability. The local "blame-game" has got to stop. Springfield needs to take meaningful action on the pension crisis. We urge you to educate yourself on the issues and to contact your elected state officials to demand real reform.