The last Hme Rule referendum I can remember was Lakewood’s.
I can’t remember when it was, but the impetus was to gain the ability to levy more taxes without a referendum.
Home Rule is being discussed by McHenry County officials.
Proponents will argue that McHenry County is unique and should not be governed by pesky stat laws, that the County Board knows better than Springfield,
The underlying reason, however, for EVERY Home Rule-seeking municipalilty or county is the ability to get more money without voter approval.
Here is the AI version of what happened at the Law and Government Committee meeting May 26, 2026 (it’s all one paragraph, so I have separated it by sentence to make it easier to reas)::
During the Home Rule discussion, members raised several substantive concerns.
Multiple speakers stressed that Home Rule is complex and not well understood by the public, and that putting a question on the ballot without first doing thorough education could lead to a strong “no” vote based on fear of higher taxes rather than on
understanding of local-control benefits.
There was concern that a failed question (especially if rushed) could make it harder to revisit Home Rule in the future.
Several members also pointed out that the board itself is not yet fully prepared: they have not clearly laid out what Home Rule would allow and prohibit, what changes to county government structure would be required (including the county executive model), and the practical pros and cons for McHenry County.
Others worried about timing—whether tying the question to a high-turnout general election would help or hurt—and whether an advisory-only question would be viewed as merely a political statement rather than a serious step toward structural change.
The outcome was not a decision to put a Home Rule question on the ballot.
Instead, the committee reached a consensus to further investigate and develop the concept before acting.
They agreed to route the Home Rule referendum idea—both advisory and binding options—to the Administrative Services and Finance Committees for more detailed review, including a clearer explanation of what Home Rule entails, side‑ by‑ side pros and cons, and draft referendum language (to be vetted by the State’s Attorney).
The intent is to use those committee discussions to refine options and education materials before the full board decides whether to place any Home Rule question on a future ballot.
A major problem with I-genertaed minutes is that they do not report who said what.
The members at the meeting were
- Pamela Althoff,
- Mike Shorten,
- Carolyn Campbell,
- Matt Kunkle,
- Brian Sager,
- Patrick Sullivan,
- Gloria Van Hof
The “Don’t Cook Co Our McHenry County” sign is distributed at Republican Headquarters.
Cook County is the only Home Rule county.
