MONTICELLO TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WCIA) — Some officials across Central Illinois are worried several townships could be dissolved if proposed bills continue to move forward.

The Township Officials of Illinois report the 1,426 townships in the state serve more than 8 million citizens.

For the last several years, some state officials have argued there are too many levels of government, and getting rid of townships could be one way to save money. The conversation is resurfacing, and not everyone is happy about it.

Alan Sprinkle, the Monticello Township Highway Commissioner, believes it’ll cost more if townships go away. He said cities or counties would have to pick up the slack to fill the gaps instead.

His team plows snow, fixes potholes, maintains buildings and takes care of about 54 miles of road. Sprinkle said they cover a lot of ground, in part because Piatt County doesn’t have a highway department.

Over the years, Sprinkle said his team has built irreplaceable relationships with the thousands of people who live in his jurisdiction.

“We had a resident who was having a baby during a snowstorm,” he said. “They reached out to the township and we escorted them from their home into town where they could get to the hospital so they could safely get to town with their pregnant wife.”

Besides that, he said they also have a close relationship with the farming community and have helped get propane to farm houses in the winter.

If townships go away, he is scared helping people in that way will change as well.

Regarding the bills, SB2504, SB2217 and HB2515 are all on the table right now.

Sen. Suzy Hilton (D-Western Springs) is one of the lawmakers part of the proposal. Her office confirmed she is pushing forward with SB2504, which would affect townships with 50,000 people or less.

If you have any questions or concerns, Sprinkle suggests contacting state leaders to make sure your voice is heard. If you’d like to contact him directly, visit this link.