White Oak Library Referendum: April 2025 Election

WILL COUNTY, IL — Voters who reside in the White Oak Library District boundaries will see a referendum proposition on their April 1 ballots.

The White Oak Library District operates libraries in Romeoville, Crest Hill and Lockport. The referendum is asking for an increase to the library's limiting rate. Here is what voters will see on the ballot:

"Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the White Oak Library District, Will County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.0286 percent above the limiting rate for levy year 2023 and be equal to 0.208 percent of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2025?"

According to the Library's website, the library currently has a limiting rate of 17.94 cents per $100 of assessed value. The library is asking the public to approve an increase to 20.8 cents per $100 of assessed value.

"If this measure passes, a home’s property tax bill will be increased by $9.53 per $100,000 of the home’s market value," the Library said on its website. Average homes in the Library District would see an increase of about $20 per year on their tax bill, according to the library.

The Library has asked several times since 2016 to increase its operational funding, but voters have rejected each proposition.

"The need for improved library services is very real, and because this referendum has never passed before, the need still exists," Library Director Scott Pointon told Patch.

Pointon said the referendum came very close to passing in 2019, and feels that momentum would have led to a successful referendum in 2020, but "circumstances out of our control prevented us from that attempt in 2020."

"The Board and I feel that we are far enough past 2020 that we can pick this back up and give it another go," Pointon said.

If the referendum is successful, the Library said it will increase hours, add a bookmobile, increase services for seniors and young children, and increase online and virtual services.

Pointon said the demographics of the library are very unique, and about 1 in 5 of its residents are senior citizens.

"That is not a problem, but we do need to meet that demand head-on by bolstering the services we provide to seniors, without damaging the services that we provide for everyone else," Pointon said.