PEKIN, Ill. – Pekin Mayor Mary Burress cast the deciding vote Monday night as the city council voted against putting a referendum on the November ballot that would ask residents whether the city should continue running as a home rule government.
Council Member Rick Hilst motioned in favor of the referendum after the council last month raised several taxes and fees to deal with multi-million-dollar deficits in the budget.
But, according to 25 News, opponents of the referendum noted that none of the tax and fee increases had anything to do with the city’s home rule authority.
The Illinois Municipal League says home rule governments can pass any legislation unless it is specifically against Illinois state law. Illinois law mandates how non-home rule governments are run.
Pekin Council Member John Abel said that under state rule, there’s no way taxes will go down.
Lloyd Orrick and Dave Nutter joined Councilman Hilst in favoring a voter referendum.
“It’s not a matter of where I stand on it, it’s not a matter of whether anybody on this council stands for it, it’s a matter of the fact that the residents never had the opportunity to decide whether they want to be home rule status or not,” Hilst said.
Mayor Burress voted against a referendum, joining Abel, Karen Hohimer, and Chris Onken.
“We’re going to have a babysitter. We’re going to have the governor and the General Assembly tell us what we can and cannot do,” Hohimer said.
City staffers said eliminating home rule would cost Pekin more than $8 million a year in revenue, which Burress said would be “devastating” to the city.
Pekin automatically became a home rule government in 1971, once the population surpassed 25,000.
The council can revisit the referendum issue, but must make a final decision by August 19.
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