CHICAGO - Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger on Monday announced her office will return $500,000 to taxpayers after implementing efficiencies and cost saving measures that allowed it to end this fiscal year with a budget surplus.
The announcement comes two months after Munger presented the General Assembly with a budget that includes a 10 percent cut to Comptroller's Office operations costs for next fiscal year.
"After inauguration in January, I worked with my staff to identify ways to deliver the same high level of service at a lower cost - and today we're seeing the result of those efforts," Munger said. "If we are going to ask taxpayers, businesses and organizations to do their part to help clean up the state's fiscal mess, then we should do the same across state government."
Munger delivered the taxpayer savings by consolidating operations and cross-training employees to maximize staff time. In fact, the Comptroller's Office staff headcount is lower than at any time in its history. At the same time, she continues to advocate consolidation of the state's fiscal offices of Comptroller and Treasurer, which would save an additional $12 million annually without sacrificing services.
"The bottom line is Illinois does not have the money to cover current costs," Munger said. "It is incumbent on each of us to find ways to become more efficient and deliver critical services more affordably."
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