(Belleville, IL) — Metro East government leaders gathered today to complain that Governor Rauner is trying to balance the state’s budget on the backs of cities. Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert and others say Rauner’s plan for a 50-percent cut in the income tax money the state sends to cities would devastate local city services. Eckert says Belleville would lose nearly ten-percent of its 28-million-dollar operating budget if Rauner’s cuts are approved by lawmakers. The Metro East leaders’ complaints echo those made by mayors and village presidents in other parts of the state.