Binding Home Rule Referendum Defeated

On Tuesday night, the McHenry County Board voted 17-1 to defeat a binding Home Rule/elected County Executive form of government.

It’s really difficult to determine why there was such a lop-sided vote.

Someone certainly wanted a binding referendum on the ballot or so much “sturm und drang” concerning the issue.

One possibility could be that the majority agreed with what the County Board member points out below:

Passage of a Home Rule Referendum Will Severely Limit County Board Members’ Power

Or it could the fear of a County Board in the future raising taxes without a referendum as Libertarian Party leader Kelly Liebman expressed at the Committee of the Whole meeting last Thursday:

McHenry County Libertarian Leader Trashes Home Rule & County Executive Form of Government by Asking Questions for Which No Answer Has Been Given

There will be, however, non-binding referendums on the issue:

“Regarding Becoming a Home Rule County and Adopting the County Executive Form of Government.”

In addition, there will be a non-binding referendum on whether local zoning should be usurped by state government:

“Regarding the Restoration of Local Zoning Authority over Commercial Energy Projects and
Residential Development.”