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The Reason Foundation found that Illinois is second highest in
the nation, averaging about $50 per resident in 2020. That is
compared to less than $3 per resident in Kentucky.
In 2019, local fines and fees revenue accounted for less than 2%
of pre-pandemic general revenue in all 50 states. The year 2017
is the most recent year for which local revenue data is
available. During that year, 28,159 U.S. cities, townships and
counties reported a total of nearly $5 billion in revenue from
fines and fees after excluding jurisdictions without sufficient
data.
Data for the study was obtained from the Census Bureau’s annual
survey of state and local government finances.
“In Illinois, local governments retain a fairly substantial
portion of the revenue generated by citations and traffic
tickets within that jurisdiction,” said Vittorio Nastasi,
director of Criminal Justice Policy with the Reason Foundation.
Nastasi notes that fines and fees have turned many courts into
revenue centers for state and local governments, creating what
he calls undesirable conflicts of interest.
The study notes that rural areas with relatively small
populations tend to be the most dependent on fines and fees,
leading to so-called speed-trap towns along major highways.
Some of the Illinois communities highlighted included
Cave-in-Rock, where fines and fees make up over 26% of the
village’s revenue, or $128 per resident. In Chenoa, fines and
fees amount to 14.2% of the town’s revenue, or $128 per
resident. In North Pekin, fines and fees make up about 15.9% of
the village’s revenue, or $166 per resident.
The analysis shows that 176 governments nationwide derived 20%
or more of their revenues from fines and fees, and 42
municipalities derived 50% or more of their general revenue from
fines and fees.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois for the
Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio news
reporting throughout the Midwest.
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