'Democracy's messy' for attempt to dissolve village of Campton Hills

A campaign to dissolve the new village of Campton Hills suffered a setback last week when organizers learned referendum petitions they were circulating might be invalid.

Now the dissolution proponents pushing for a redo of last spring's election face a redo of their own.

"It is what it is," said Chris Baldwin, an organizer for the Stop Campton Hills Public Action Committee. "Democracy's messy."

The committee has been circulating petitions for several weeks in an attempt to get about 2,400 residents' signatures calling for a dissolution question on the Feb. 5 primary ballot.

Baldwin didn't provide a specific number, but said the group was "very close" to having enough signatures when questions arose over the petitions' legal wording.

He said the committee quickly stopped circulating the old petitions and spent the weekend drafting a more thorough version, which is being passed around through Sunday. The deadline for filing ballot items is Nov. 19.

"We have to be extra careful," Baldwin said. "We know everything is going to be contested (by the village)."

Campton Hills Village President Patsy Smith declined to comment.

Whether dissolution proponents actually will be able to get the question on the ballot -- even if they have enough signatures -- remains unclear.

Trustees, who openly oppose dissolution, have already approved three advisory referendum questions -- the most state statute allows in a single municipal election. But activists say they might seek a judge's approval of a fourth question because it is "by the people."

The village narrowly won incorporated rights via referendum last spring. Opponents have maintained, among other claims, that the additional layer of government will eventually equate to higher taxes, while village leaders say that isn't the case.