Electrical referendum on McHenry County ballot

Residents of unincorporated McHenry County can vote in March to choose whether they want the county to seek bids for lower electricity rates.

The measure was approved last week in a 20-3 vote by board members. Donna Kurtz, Diane Evertsen, and Ersel Schuster voted against it. Board member John Hammerand was absent.

If the referendum question is approved, the county will solicit bids for electricity rates lower than ComEd’s. If the bids come in favorably, residents and small business owners will have the option to switch to a new electricity supplier, or stay with ComEd. Even with a new supplier, ComEd would continue to handle billing and calls for service.

County officials estimated savings could amount to up to 20 percent.

The referendum has been called a “win-win” situation, but Kurtz believes not enough research has been done on its potential consequences.

“We don’t know how this is going to turn out over the long term. Are we making promises we can’t keep? This is relatively new legislation. What’s the rush?” she said.

More than a dozen municipalities in McHenry County will also have a municipal aggregation question on the March ballot.

Residents of Fox River Grove and Harvard have already switched to new power suppliers after voters approved referendum questions last April.