In Cook County, with 5.2 million people including Chicago, there are at least 205 special purpose districts, according to the Illinois comptroller. Four of them have been battling mosquitoes for more than a half-century -- and fending off allegations that they’re ineffective and waste money.
Consider the fight against mosquitos in Evergreen Park. It involves government entities spreading larvicide in parks, ponds and golf courses, removing standing water from old tires and contracting with a private company to spray, when necessary. Just one of those agencies, the South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District, gets $8.84 annually from each of Evergreen Park’s 6,900 households, said Sexton, the mayor, who is still undergoing physical therapy from his bout with West Nile.
Mayor’s Death
Sexton, 61, was fortunate. The mayor of west suburban Lombard, William Mueller, died from the disease last year --even though various local governments in his home county of DuPage had signed more than three dozen contracts for a local company to provide various levels of spraying service. All told, the Chicago region has 11 mosquito abatement districts.
Critics question both their effectiveness and their necessity.
“Mosquito season lasts four to five months a year,” said state House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, who wonders what employees do during the remaining seven-to-eight months.
“Yes, there needs to be control and abatement, but do you need to have a tax-funded district to address the problem?” said Durkin, the sponsor of a bill to do away with the four districts in Cook and put their functions under the control of the county health department.
It’s a familiar debate involving districts that were created in the 1920s to fight malaria. Twenty-one dot the state in 12 counties. The Civic Federation wrote in a 2003 report that mosquito abatement districts “are one of the best examples of unnecessary special district government.”
The South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District, which began operating in 1955, spent $2.3 million last year serving 52 municipalities, with about $1.8 million on salaries, insurance, Social Security. About $261,000 went to pension costs, about $100,000 more than was devoted to the purchase of pesticides, according to public records.
“It’s patronage 101,” said Durkin.