Gaming, Tax Relief, Sugar Tax: Palos Referenda Vote Results Here

PALOS TOWNSHIP, IL -- Palos Heights and Palos Township residents were asked to consider a variety of referendums on Tuesday’s ballot, ranging from video gaming and a fire protection district tax levy increase to bringing back the controversial sweetened beverage tax and expanding property tax home exemptions. All refenderdum results are unofficial.

Palos Heights residents voted a resounding NO to allowing video gaming within city limits. Voters were asked, “Shall video gaming be permitted within the corporate limits of the City of Palos Heights?”
Yes - 2,522
No - 3,319

14 out 14 precincts reporting

Palos Township residents were also asked to consider two referendum questions. Towns within the Palos Township boundaries include Palos Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills, Worth, Willow Springs and parts of Orland Park.

Voters in Palos Township municipalities shot down an advisory referendum on reinstating Cook County’s controversial sweetened beverage tax. Voters were asked to consider, “Shall the County of Cook reinstate the Sweetened Beverage Tax?”
Yes - 2,352
No - 16,015
39 out 39 precincts reporting

Palos Township voters answered yes to the Illinois General Assembly passing legislation expanding homeowners’ exemptions. Voters were asked, “Shall the Illinois General Assembly pass legislation expanding the Homeowners, Senior Citizen and Veterans property tax exemptions to provide greater property tax relief?”

Yes - 17,044
No - 1,210
39 out of 39 precincts reporting

Residents living within the boundaries North Palos Fire Protection District answered "no" to a referendum to increase the fire protection district’s shareof the property tax levy. Voters in Palos Hills, Worth, Hickory Hills and the Cook County Forest Preserve, were asked to consider: “Shall the extension limitation under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the North Palos Fire Protection District, Cook County, Illinois be increased from the lesser of 5% or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index over the prior levy year to 20% for levy year 2018?"

“For the 2018 levy year, the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single-family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $52.20.”

Yes - 2,382
No - 2,637
18 of 18 precincts reporting