Home rule divides DuPage County board
Granting home rule powers to DuPage County doesn't have a lot of support from the majority of county board candidates up for election Nov. 4.
However, the few that do favor such power say it beats the alternative of begging legislators in Springfield for the ability to govern the way they want.
Opponents of home rule say it gives the board too much freedom to tax and not be held accountable to voters.
Only District 2 candidate Democrat Max Havlick declared he was unabashedly in favor of the county being home rule.
"I've already found I'm out of touch with other Democrats on this issue because I'm for it," he said. "It seems ridiculous to me that a county government this size has to have its rules determined by people in downstate Illinois. That doesn't strike me right."
From a regulatory standpoint, home rule allows governments more leeway in drafting laws. That's why District 6 Republican incumbent James Zay favors home rule for the county, albeit if the measure is first approved by voters.
"There's a reason you have massage parlors and adult clubs and all these other kinds of seedy businesses in the unincorporated areas, and it's because we lack the zoning authority," he said.
Fellow District 6 Republican candidate Robert Larsen also said he generally favors home rule powers, but wanted voters to have a say as well.
Other candidates said they were personally opposed to home rule, but would not mind if voters signed off on it.
"If the voters want to vote on it, then let them tell us what they want," said District 1 Republican incumbent Yolanda Campuzano. "But the way I've seen it work is just tax, tax, tax."
Many candidates said they have concerns that such powers would be abused in the future.
"This is not the board you have to worry about, but what about the next one?" pondered District 2 Republican incumbent Patrick O'Shea. "What if their thought process is different? Voters have let us know they aren't in favor of this and I don't believe you give power to the government people have said 'no' to."
District 4 Democratic challenger Dan Bailey argued that such powers take away checks and balances that are in place.
"It makes it easier to raise taxes without the consent of the governed," he said.
Other candidates who opposed home rule powers include District 4 Green Party candidate William Edgar, Democrats Rifat Sivisoglu, Richard Dunn, Dirk Enger and Tony Michelassi as well as Republicans Brien Sheahan, Debra Olson, Grant Eckhoff, Paul Fichtner, James Healy and Gerry Cassioppi.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Where's the power?</p> <p class="News">Here's how most of the DuPage County Board candidates said they stand on home rule powers.</p> <p class="breakhead">Favor</p> <p class="News">District 2: Max Havlick (D)</p> <p class="News">District 6: Robert Larsen (R), James Zay (R)</p> <p class="breakhead">Oppose</p> <p class="News">District 1: Rifat Sivisoglu (D), Yolanda Campuzano (R), Paul Fichtner (R) </p> <p class="News">District 2: Brien Sheahan (R), Patrick O'Shea (R)</p> <p class="News">District 4: Dan Bailey (D), Richard Dunn (D), William Edgar (G), Grant Eckhoff (R), Debra Olson (R)</p> <p class="News">District 5: Tony Michelassi (D), James Healy (R), Gerry Cassioppi (R)</p> <p class="News">District 6: Dirk Enger (D) </p>