Prompted in part by news coverage by the Better Government Association and the Daily Herald, state Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) recently proposed legislation that would make it tougher for local government officials to spend taxpayer money on travel.
House Bill 4379, filed Jan. 4, would require all school districts and other local governments that are not home rule to regulate travel, meals and lodging expenses. Any purchases related to entertainment would be prohibited. The BGA has reported several examples of board members spending lavishly to attend conferences across the country or in downtown Chicago. The trips often included pricey dinners and other fun excursions all on the taxpayer’s dime. In some cases, receipts were missing and paperwork was not filled out.
Some recent stories include:
“Shameful” Spending At Suburban School District?
CTA Pension Fund Sends Officials To Hawaii, Other Lush Locales
