Village Board to Discuss Voting Amendment for Property Tax Increases
If Clarendon Hills attained home rule, it would no longer be subject to the Illinois property tax cap; a proposed ordinance would establish the need for a supermajority vote on any increases.
The Clarendon Hills Village Board will have first consideration Monday night of an ordinance that, if passed at the board’s Feb. 21 meeting, would establish the need of a supermajority vote to pass property-tax increases in the event that Clarendon Hills becomes a home rule community.
If the home rule referendum on the March 20 General Primary ballot were approved by residents, Clarendon Hills would no longer be subject to the Illinois property tax cap. The ordinance would make it so five of seven board members would need to vote in favor of a property tax increase for it to be passed instead of just a simple majority of four members.
“This ordinance reflects the Village’s long history of fiscal restraint and would only enable a property tax increase if a substantial consensus had been reached among the corporate authorities of the Village,” reads a memo from village manager Randy Recklaus to the Village Board included in Monday’s meeting agenda packet (which can be found at the village’s website here). “Under this proposal, if there were even two dissenting voices out of the six trustees, the Village would continue to operate under the mechanics of the tax cap as is the case today.”
Monday’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.
John Jasper
8:07 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I sent the following comment earlier but am not sure it went through
Regarding the proposed supermajority requirement under Home Rule
1. Under Home Rule, the Board of Trustees can vote at any time to overturn any self imposed supermajority requirement. Thus it's a worthless proposal meant only to pacify the concerned citizens of Clarendon Hills.
2. The much desired heafty 22% tax increase and all other stated (and unstated) desires of the Board of Trustee can be obtained via public referendum and do not need Home Rule. Bottom line is that Home Rule allows the Board of Trustees to do whatever, however and whenever without the permission of the citizens of Clarendon Hills via referendum. It's the "easy button" for local government.
John Jasper
Tom Wich
8:16 am on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
It is my understanding that the vote to place home rule on the ballot was unanimous. If not, I would like to know which trustees were against it. If you can get everyone on the board to vote for something as divisive as home rule, exceeding the property tax cap would be far too easy. Home rule is a reckless proposal and you should vote no March 20.
Eric T. Stach
3:15 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Village by this draft ordinance acknowledged a core problem with Home Rule: the loss of residents’ right to vote by referendum on Village property taxes and sales taxes. The draft ordinance–or any similar version–can’t fix this loss; any Board can just repeal the ordinance with 4 votes.
The Big question remains: Why is the Village seeking to strip we residents of our fundamental right to vote to get Home Rule Power? The Village says if it gets Home Rule it will impose a 1% sales tax & a 26% Village property tax increase to solve its perceived budget issues. But both of these tax increases can be sought now–without Home Rule–by asking us directly by referendum. Or these potential budget issues could just be avoided by implementing systematic spending controls or cuts.
The Village claims we residents would still retain control under Home Rule as we could just vote a Board out of office if they behave badly. At best, this takes 4 years to do. Is that a practical check and balance? How do we un-wind 4 years of bad action?
Tough times don't justify an excuse to up-end our form of government which has served our Village well for 88 yrs. We residents should preserve our right to vote, starting with a vote against Home Rule. Vote NO to Home Rule on March 20.
Respectfully, Eric T. Stach
CITIZENS FOR CLARENDON HILLS - a group of Village residents formed to stop government over-reach and minimize taxation and regulation.
Visit: www.citizensforch.com