Home Rule Question On Burr Ridge Ballot

BURR RIDGE, IL — A resident spoke before the Burr Ridge Village Board on Tuesday asking about the campaign to get home rule for the village. He said he sees signs around town against home rule, but not in favor.

He judged the home rule campaign "a miserable failure" and asked the board to comment. Burr Ridge voters are set to decide on home rule during Tuesday's primary election.

In response to the resident, Mayor Gary Grasso said he could not comment pro or con on the referendum. He was referring to rules that bar municipal officials from using public resources to advocate for or against a referendum.

He said supporters see a benefit with home rule that gives the village more power on how to spend its money. With home rule, the village could direct much of its hotel tax money to the police pension fund. Now, it must be spent to promote tourism.

While the village is keeping up with its pension payments, the mayor said, its annual payment will spike to $1 million in a few years. He said it was seen as preferable that this money come from the hotel tax, which is paid by out-of-towners, rather than local property taxpayers.

But Grasso noted home rule opponents are opposed because such status gives the village greater flexibility over increasing property taxes. In January, the village board approved a resolution that would prohibit it from using home rule powers to hike property taxes. Under the resolution, the board would be required to send a written notice to all property owners first if it were considering revoking the resolution.

Trustee Zach Mottl, who along with Trustee Anita Mital opposed putting the home rule question before voters, said he has received word that home rule would let the village ignore its ordinances and resolutions.

Village attorney Mike Durkin, however, said the village would still have to follow its own rules. "You'd have a problem ignoring your ordinances," he said.

While he voted for the resolution, Mottl has referred to it as "paper handcuffs," saying it does nothing to stop the village from using its home rule powers to hike property taxes.

Grasso disagreed with the state law that allows towns with populations greater than 25,000 to automatically gain home rule status.

"The state legislature has somehow determined if you are less than 25,000 in population, you shouldn't have the same rights as a village with 25,000," he said. "The inference is that we little villages aren't smart enough to run our communities."

The polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Tuesday. To participate in the home rule referendum, a voter does not have to take either the Democratic or Republican ballots.