Oldest Form Of Government Continues

The oldest form of government in Illinois, Townships, recently held its 2011 Annual Education Conference, sponsored by the Township Officials of Illinois. The location of the Conference was the Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield.

Linda Moore, Supervisor, Grafton Township, was among some 1,000 township officials who participated in the Conference, held November 6-8.

Ms. Moore reports that speaker Rob Bell’s keynote address “How to Deal with Change in a Positive Way” offered clear-cut ways to improve service to township constituents and enhance officials’ leadership skills.

The Township Officials of Illinois annually holds its conference to keep officials up to date with the latest developments in local government management, fiscal practices, and general assistance. This year’s sessions addressed the Cemetery Oversight Act, grant writing, recordkeeping, pavement maintenance, software programs, the Freedom of Information Act, parliamentary procedure, budgets/levies and much more. Attendees selected from 37 educational sessions at this year’s conference.

The 104-year-old Township Officials of Illinois is comprised of nearly 11,000 officials from 1,432 townships throughout 85 counties in Illinois.

TOI’s ongoing mission is to help townships improve delivery of services and streamline the oldest form of local government in North America. TOI strives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of township officials by offering continuing education programs throughout the year in all regions of the state.

The many relevant sessions offered at the 2011 Conference will help Illinois township officials carry out their responsibilities; the best way to keep pace with changes in government and their responsibilities to constituents is to participate in conferences such as the one sponsored by the Township Officials of Illinois.

“Attendance at our Annual Conference is important for new and returning officials; there is much to be learned from the educational sessions, and from the networking opportunities,” said Bryan E. Smith, TOI’s Executive Director. “Township officials can gain a wealth of knowledge from sharing with their fellow officials.”