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 | Township Map | TOI Staff | Contact Information | Benefits of Membership |
Welcome to the website for the Township Officials of Illinois. 
If you are new to the Township Officials of Illinois, (TOI), welcome! This is a great association and the board of directors, members and staff share a common goal – providing efficient, effective services to township officials across the state of Illinois. I encourage all of the newcomers to get involved with the association. The benefits are outstanding.
As you may be aware, there are 1432 townships among the 85 township counties in Illinois. Together, this encompasses more than 11,000 elected township officials. We have about 1 percent active in the association currently. This needs to change. With your help, together we can build a stronger active membership base that ultimately contributes to the overall survival or future of township government.
As the 2008-2010 President, I am looking forward to meeting many of you throughout the year at various division and association sponsored events. I will work with all of you to continue the efforts to preserve what so many before us have established. Get involved with your divisions. Contact neighboring townships and see what you can do together to benefit the association and surrounding townships. The rewards are great!
Township officials across the state answered the request to help defeat a potential constitutional convention this past election. This was a successful local government grass roots campaign. Now, we must focus our attention on educational opportunities and program development that will make our townships better, more efficient and community driven. There are many things townships can do to benefit the residents of our townships.
As the Supervisor in Oblong Township (Crawford County), I have dedicated more than 30 years of my life to local government – specifically township government. I have worked hand-in-hand with local civic groups and community development programs to make my local community strong. I joined the TOI board in 1992 and again in 1999 to assist in delivering my skill sets to an organization that benefits township government on a statewide basis. I knew it was a great organization. I have benefited many times over from my participation with TOI. Now, I am able to work as your President to make sure that the skills and abilities membership provide me is passed on to township governments ' future – YOU!
The 2009 Education program was great! The education program created in 2008 that provides eight (8) educational districts is a direct result of the intention to bring the programs out into the townships across the state. County associations currently exist in approximately 50 percent of our 85 township counties and are the best direct link to connecting TOI programs and services to individual townships.
Thank you for your commitment and outstanding service to township government.
Richard Ralston
TOI President
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