The Illinois Office of the Auditor General of Illinois recently issued a performance audit about the state’s use of boards and commissions, and many of the findings were alarming.

Most notably, of the 339 boards and commissions identified, the audit determined that 101 of them were inactive, largely because they didn’t have enough members to conduct business. In fact, as of June 30, 2022, the end of the period audited, there were 1,313 total vacancies, of which 839 were to be appointed by the governor. The audit’s logical conclusion: “If inactive boards and commissions no longer serve a purpose they should be abolished.”

The discouraging facts roll on:

• 91 (27%) reported having at least one board member serving on an expired term as of June 30, 2022.

• Of the 202 boards and commissions that required meetings, some 28% didn’t hold the required number. 

• Only 68% of the boards had a required work product, (which seems like a minimal number) and many of them weren’t accomplishing what they were established to do. In a sample of 55 boards and commissions, the auditor found that 20% didn’t complete all their work products and another 25% didn’t do so in a timely manner.

For residents who want to keep track of their boards and commissions, there is a website, maintained by the Governor’s Office of Executive Appointments, to help them do so. But the auditor found that the website “was not accurate and contained outdated information.” The website itself now acknowledges this fact, stating that “this website may contain minor errors and/or omissions.” 

The issues uncovered in Illinois are not unusual. Over the years we have written about a number of other states and local governments in which problems involving boards and commissions pop up like dandelions. 

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