Barrington rejects home rule

Voters in Barrington have declared they feel quite at home remaining non-home rule.

With all six precincts counted in Cook County, voters cast 1,196 votes against home rule, with only 800 in support. And in the three Lake County precincts, the margin was narrower but still decisive, with 886 voting against and 820 in favor.

Barrington Village President Karen Darch was philosophical.

"You live to have another day," she said. "The voters have spoken. We will carry on.

"We have not been home rule for a while, we will continue to do what we have been doing," Darch added.

Darch did not rule out the possibility of the question reappearing, saying the village would continue to educate the community on the issues.

"People may want to look at it again," she said.

In the meantime, Darch said the village will continue to keep a vigilant eye on Springfield and raise its voice concerning measures that impact non-home rule communities, including a bill affecting water tap-on fees. This, she said, could impact the way the village sets its water rates.

Home rule gives a local government the power to deal with local problems without seeking the authority of the Illinois General Assembly to meet those needs.

Besides giving a municipality more authority to raise taxes, home rule allows a town more flexibility to craft ordinances and develop alternative sources of revenue, proponents say.

"It's a hard concept to get your head around," Darch noted.

One issue Barrington officials had singled out as something to pursue should home rule be adopted is a crime-free housing ordinance similar to those in nearby communities. Crime-free housing ordinances require landlords to obtain a valid residential rental license, allow the village to conduct a crime prevention inspection, attend crime safety training programs and conduct background checks on prospective tenants.

"Our job is to put the question out there and let people speak, and they have spoken," she said.

On the positive side, Darch said, "It was good to see so many people turn out to vote. It's nice to see people exercising the franchise."