Ed McLean of Monroe County GOP said that by diverting state funds to projects that benefit big-ticket regions, Springfield is forcing smaller communities like Monroe County to pay more just to keep basic services running. McLean made his statement to SW Illinois News Feb 23.
The issue arises as state leaders consider redirecting revenue sharing to fund major initiatives in other parts of Illinois. This has raised concerns among local officials about the impact on smaller counties’ ability to maintain essential services without increasing local taxes.
“When state leaders choose to redirect revenue sharing to fund big-ticket initiatives that primarily benefit other regions, communities like Monroe County are left carrying the burden… Prioritizing large, centralized projects over the basic needs of smaller counties sends the message that downstate services come second… Every dollar diverted away from local governments is a dollar we can’t use to maintain our roads, support public safety, or keep our schools strong… If this pattern continues, Monroe County residents will bear the cost, facing higher local taxes just to maintain services that the state should be funding,” according to McLean’s remarks published by SW Illinois News.
As reported by the Chicago Sun Times, the Illinois General Assembly recently approved a $1.5 billion transit rescue package aimed at preventing service cuts for Chicago-area transit agencies such as CTA, Metra and Pace. The legislation redirects state revenues—including fuel sales tax funds—to address Chicago’s transit crisis. Lawmakers have acknowledged that prioritizing these needs could result in shrinking shared revenues for downstate communities and potentially lead to property tax increases for maintaining roads, schools and public safety.
According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Governor J.B. Pritzker’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget includes $55.2 billion in General Fund spending—a 2.5 percent increase over FY2025—and diverts an estimated $171 million of motor fuel sales tax from the Road Fund to the General Fund. This move could reduce available funds for road and bridge projects while leaving a projected $771 million gap in transit funding unaddressed.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Policy Institute reported in September 2025 that Illinois had $3.3 billion sitting idle in its road fund even as automatic motor fuel tax hikes continued—raising gasoline taxes to one of the highest rates nationally at 48.3 cents per gallon and costing drivers about $143 more annually.
McLean has served as Chairman of Monroe County Republicans since 2016 and is a retired engineer and business leader who resides with his wife on a horse farm in rural Monroe County, according to the party’s official website.
