Local officials in Glencoe are once again considering moving to a “self-governing” form of government, and it appears they intend to take decisions before residents.
Glencoe Village is one of the few North Shore communities that does not exercise a “home rule” type of governance. Under the Illinois Constitution, self-governing communities have more power to opt out of certain laws and state orders unless specifically preempted by the state Legislature or the Constitution itself, Village Attorney Stephen Elrod said. can.
The subject of household rules was the main topic of discussion at the Village Board of Trustees' Committee of the Whole meeting on March 19th.
After Elrod spoke about how the Home Rule Act works, Deputy Village Manager Nikki Larson spoke about the impact of not having home rule as the village faces challenges such as regulation, economic development, and fiscal implications. A report highlighting the following was submitted.
Village Mayor Howard Loin believes it's time for a change.
“Being an outlier has not led to lower property taxes for residents,” Loin said. “Our residents spend more money every day than residents of other communities because we don't have self-governing rules.”
Since the meeting was held at the committee level, no formal vote was required, but all board members appeared to support the idea of the change.
“At the end of the day, we have to let the neighbors make the decision,” Trustee Georgia Michalopoulos said.
There are two ways a community in Illinois can achieve home rule status. A municipality automatically becomes an autonomous region if its population exceeds 25,000 people. Glencoe has a population of about 8,600 people, so voters will need to approve the idea after the village board formally acts to place the issue on the ballot.
It appeared that the Trustees would place the measure on the ballot, but no specific election choices were made.
Roin supported this November's election, where turnout in presidential elections is traditionally much higher than in local elections.
“We just don't want to make it seem like we're cute,” he said. “The goal is not to throw a fastball and get over the residents.”
But Trustee Gail Risner thought next spring would be more appropriate.
“I’m very concerned that people are just flippantly checking yes or no,” she said. “If the election had been held in April, the people who would have come would have been well-educated. They would be sentimental in some way.”
Under Illinois law, the board must take action by Aug. 18 to put the issue before voters in November. If it is to be implemented in April, the ordinance must be enacted by January 12th.
The quest for home rule surfaced many times in Glencoe.
In 1988, voters flatly rejected a referendum on national rules. In 2005, the then village committee deliberated on the issue following an investigation by a task force.
Since 2015, a series of discussions have been held at the village committee level. In August 2020, the Trustees revisited the situation but chose not to move forward, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barrington voters approved home rule status in the community in 2022, and a majority of voters in Roselle and Richton Park supported the switch on March 19.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
