Glencoe Voters To Decide on Home Rule, $14.7 Million Park Improvement: 2024 Election

GLENCOE, IL — When they head to the polls Tuesday, Glencoe voters will face two significant questions on the ballot from two separate local public bodies: one asking whether the village should adopt home rule status, the other whether to allow park district officials to borrow $14.7 million for improvements.

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.

Village officials and supporters of home rule argue 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.

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

Village President Howard Roin has said 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.

In addition to the home rule referendum, voters will also decide on a bond measure to fund a series of projects proposed by the Glencoe Park District. The 25-year, $14.7 million bond would fund a variety of park improvements without increasing 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.

If the bond measure passes, property taxes would remain flat, but if it is rejected, the expiration of the existing bond would mean an annual tax decrease of about $261 per $1 million of a property’s fair market value, park district officials said.