Home Rule Referendum, $14.7 Million Park District Bond Approved By Voters In Glencoe

GLENCOE, IL — Voters in Glencoe have approved both major referendums on the ballot in the village, according to unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s Office.

The measure to adopt home rule status passed with 71.8 percent of the vote, with 2,717 in favor and 1,066 against.

The home rule designation grants Glencoe broader local authority on matters such as zoning, taxes and long-term infrastructure planning, giving village officials additional control over local governance that they argued was necessary to reduce reliance on property taxes and address local needs more directly. A similar measure had been rejected in 1988.

The village board voted unanimously in August to ask residents whether the village should become a home rule unit, a status that would expand local authority and grant village officials increased control over matters such as zoning, taxation and long-term debt.

Under the 1970 Illinois Constitution, towns with more than 25,000 residents automatically have home rule status. Glencoe has less than 9,000, so the only way village officials can get the additional authority is if voters grant it to them. A previous proposal for home rule authority was rejected in 1988.

Read more: Glencoe's Future In Voters' Hands With Referendums On Village Home Rule, $14.7 Million Parks Bond

Village officials and supporters of home rule argued it would give Glencoe more flexibility to tackle local issues, as well as reduce its reliance on property taxes by potentially instituting non-resident fees and targeted taxes.

Village President Howard Roin said previously the move would allow Glencoe more autonomy, putting control back in the hands of residents and local leaders rather than in state or county officials.

“Home rule gives the village and village residents, rather than the state or county government, control over village affairs,” Roin said, according to Pioneer Press. “This is not a gambit to raise people’s taxes.”

Not everyone backs granting local elected officials the expanded powers of home rule.

The Illinois Realtors Association, representing both commercial and residential realtors, has voiced opposition, warning of possible new taxes and fees that could burden residents and noting that, while current officials may be trusted, future administrations may not keep the same promises.

In a separate vote, village trustees passed a resolution pledging to maintain Illinois’ Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, should the referendum pass. The law caps annual property tax increases for non-home rule communities at 5 percent or the national inflation rate, whichever is lower.

Meanwhile, the referendum seeking approval for a $14.7 million bond sale by the Glencoe Park District also won support, passing with 69.1 percent of voters in favor — 3,065 votes for and 1,370 against.

The bond will fund park improvements across Glencoe without raising the district’s current debt service rate, as previous bonds are set to expire.

Planned projects include new playground equipment, updated beach access, and expanded facilities at the Takiff Center, according to Glencoe Park District Executive Director Lisa Sheppard.

Other upgrades include replacing aging sun shelters, enhancing ADA accessibility, and building a community greenhouse.

That means that even though the bond measure passed, property taxes will remain flat. Had the bond measure failed, local property taxes would have seen a modest decrease.