As the River Forest village board prepares to resume formal discussion on a possible home rule referendum this fall, results from similar referenda around the Chicago area and the state offer reasons for both optimism and caution. Ten municipalities in the Chicago metropolitan area put home rule on the ballot in last week’s primary election, with five passing and five failing. Home rule was on the ballot in four other municipalities throughout the state, with two passing and two failing.
In addition, a referendum to rescind home rule in Downers Grove failed by a 3-to-1 margin.
The River Forest village board indicated Monday they’re watching developments closely. A short-handed board?#34;three trustees and Village Clerk Susan Conti were absent?#34;briefly discussed the issue before agreeing to place it on the April 10 meeting agenda.
Trustee Barbara Graham said she favored home rule because “there are so many things we have no ability to control.” But Graham also acknowledged that village residents may rightfully be wary of such a move.
“I think it might be time to limit terms,” said Graham. “People will have [more confidence] to know it won’t be one group of people who feel we can make all the decisions.”
Trustee Al Swanson, who strongly supports home rule as a way to deal with both tax generation and regulation, added a second possible caveat.
“We need to put in an ordinance that restricts the ability of the village board to raise property taxes above current tax caps,” he said.
Village President Frank Paris expressed some frustration that the issue of higher taxes always seems to come up in relation to home rule, saying, “This is for the purpose of reducing property taxes, not raising them.” The board, he urged, should make that clear to residents as soon as possible.
Increased taxing powers were not the primary reason stated for a number of recent home rule referenda, although concern over increased taxing powers were often the main reason for opposition.
South suburban Hazel Crest, Lynwood, Markham and Phoenix had sought home-rule status to allow them to be represented on the multi-municipality Abraham Lincoln National Airport Commission. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently ruled that non-home rule communities cannot participate in ALNAC as it is presently legally structured. Last Tuesday only Lynwood voted the measure down.
Far west suburban Burlington had sought home-rule authority to legally enforce the payment of impact fees it charges developers who want to build in the village. The measure failed after many residents reportedly expressed concern that trustees would use home rule to raise taxes.
Utica approved a home-rule referendum 68 to 32 percent in order to tax tourists rather than homeowners. The Utica village board said it intends to spend some of the tens of thousands of dollars in “pillow tax revenue,”?#34;primarily from a single tourist lodge?#34;for other than tourism promotion, which home rule allows. The Utica mayor said his top priority will probably be to upgrade the village’s wastewater treatment plant, followed by improving sidewalks and streets.
In related news last Tuesday, the City of Lake Forest passed, on its second attempt, a .4 percent real estate transfer tax, which is expected to generate some $1.5 million annually. Last fall during an informational forum on the municipal aspects of home rule, Lake Forest’s city manager told River Forest’s trustees that that city had cut spending some $1.5 million before passing its home-rule referendum in 2005, with the specific intention of then placing the real estate transfer tax issue before voters by referendum.
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