Glencoe trustees favor November ballot for home-rule vote

Glencoe voters are already scheduled to weigh in on several high-profile national, state and county elections this November — and it now appears they’ll also be tasked with making another big call on a pressing local matter. 

Village President Howard Roin announced during the board of trustees’ Thursday, July 18 meeting that officials will vote at their next meeting on Aug. 15 on whether to approve the placement of a referendum on the November ballot that will ask Glencoe voters to grant the village home-rule status. 

As previously reported by The Record, Glencoe trustees informally signaled support in late March for taking another swing at altering the village’s governance structure. 

The town has on multiple occasions since the late 1980s attempted to become a home-rule community and has been unsuccessful in its quest to do so. 

Roin was succinct in his message to the community on July 18, saying that Glencoe trustees believe “it’s a good idea for the village,” adding that he will have more to share during the August meeting prior to the board’s official vote to place the referendum on the ballot. 

In previous discussions related to the matter, town officials have offered deeper context to highlight the perceived benefits for Glencoe under a change in governance status. 

Currently, Glencoe is a non-home-rule community, meaning the village is subject to all state legislation and mandates, the village’s attorney Steve Elrod previously explained. Home-rule communities, as detailed in village documents, have additional authority over their operating procedures. 

At prior meetings, Nikki Larson, Glencoe’s deputy village manager/chief financial officer, has also showcased the challenges Glencoe faces with its non-home-rule status. 

The key limitations, according to Larson, include timelines for financing capital, the administration of certain zoning restrictions, restraints on revenues that may shift tax burden, restrictions on multi-year purchasing contracts and the inability to legislate local issues.    

According to town officials, Glencoe has also faced limitations with economic development authority, particularly the sale of property and financing programs, as well as restrictions with its financial authority, notably related to both property tax and non-property tax revenues and debt restrictions. 

Trustees first debated when to place the referendum on the ballot, considering the November election or the April 2025 local election. 

Roin offered insight into the board’s deliberations, saying there are different strategies to review when considering putting a referendum on an election ballot. 

He noted there is a school of thought that suggests a strategy of placing the referendum during a local election, which almost always has a lower voter turnout than a U.S. presidential election year. But Roin made it clear that option is not the trustees’ preference. 

“We think home rule is a good idea,” he said. “We think it’s a smart idea. We’re not hiding. We chose an election where everybody is voting. That’s why we’re going to put this on the ballot in November. We want to make sure everyone can participate. We’re not hiding.”

Municipalities can achieve home-rule status by either obtaining a population of at least 25,000 residents or by successfully passing a local referendum, The Record previously reported. A home-rule referendum can be placed on the ballot either through a petition submitted by local voters or via an ordinance passed by the village board.

Because Glencoe’s population — 8,723 as of 2020 census — falls well short of 25,000, the only feasible option for the town is through a referendum. 

Nearly all of Glencoe’s neighbors have home-rule status. The only town in The Record’s coverage area of New Trier Township that shares Glencoe’s non-home-rule status is Kenilworth. 

Glencoe officials are hosting a community forum at 6 p.m. Monday, July 22, in the council chambers of Village Hall where residents can “learn more about the topic of home rule governance for Glencoe.”

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