New State Treasurer Closing 6 Satellite Offices
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- Newly-elected Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford followed through Tuesday on a campaign promise to close six satellite offices that he says are underutilized.
Rutherford, who was sworn in Monday as the new state treasurer, said that few people use the satellite offices in Mount Vernon, Effingham, Rockford, Rock Island, Riverdale and Collinsville.
Those offices were set to shut down within a month.
Rutherford, a Republican and former state senator, had questioned why his predecessor, Alexi Giannoulias, had opened the satellite offices when the state was facing a $13 billion deficit and other state agencies were cutting services and shutting down offices.
He noted that most of the services that Illinois residents get from the treasurer's office can be accessed on the Internet. He's also suggested that the office could hold "visiting office hours" in village halls or community centers if needed to provide services to those without Internet access.
Rutherford acknowledged that closing the satellite offices won't save much money, but he said that now the offices can be leased to other state agencies.
Each satellite office employed one full-time staff member. One job has been eliminated while the other five are being considered for other posts.
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