Homer Glen Appears To Back Dissolving Township By Slim Margin

HOMER GLEN, IL — With all precincts counted in Will County, unofficial totals show voters in support of dissolving township government by a slim margin — just 236 votes. Some absentee votes could still be counted before results are official.

A non-binding advisory question on the primary ballot reads: "Should the Village of Homer Glen take appropriate action and pursue appropriate efforts to potentially dissolve or discontinue township government?"

The question concerns only Homer Glen and Homer Township, not other areas served by the township, including parts of New Lenox, Lemont and Lockport.

With all precincts in, here's where vote totals stood:
Yes: 2,355
No: 2,119

"It's time to question, 'do we need the extra layer of government of a township?'" trustee Sue Steilen previously said. "There are 24 townships in Will County alone. Illinois is known for having more government entities than any other state. At some point, we, the residents and citizens of Illinois have to come forward and say that enough, we need to eliminate some of these layers of government."

"It is to gauge the residents if they would like the village to look into removing the Village from the Township," Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike told Patch last year.

"It's time to question, 'do we need the extra layer of government of a township?'" trustee Sue Steilen previously said. "There are 24 townships in Will County alone. Illinois is known for having more government entities than any other state. At some point, we, the residents and citizens of Illinois have to come forward and say that enough, we need to eliminate some of these layers of government."

But one trustee in October expressed concern whether discontinuing the township is even Constitutional in Illinois.

In 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a local government consolidation bill allowing "the petition-initiated dissolution of any township in McHenry County." The law applied only to McHenry County. In 2023, a judge ruled that the law was unconstitutional, as it applied only to one county.