Roselle exploring home rule option

As Roselle faces a severe budget shortfall, the village board met Monday to explore whether becoming a home rule community could solve some financial woes.

A handful of residents attended the 90-minute presentation on home rule's history and advantages, which was given by Gregory Kuhn, of Northern Illinois University's Center for Governmental Studies, and attorney Patrick Lucansky.

Home rule governments are exempt from the property tax cap law, can incur debt and impose a variety of taxes including sales, alcohol, cigarette and amusement taxes ­- all without voter approval.

Lucansky added that home rule would allow village leaders to serve residents more efficiently than a slow state government.

"Who knows what Roselle needs better than you people sitting right here?" Lucansky said. "There's no way that the group of men and women in the General Assembly knows as much about Roselle as you do. They have piles of laws on their desk on every imaginable topic. If you do something your residents don't like, they'll be here and they'll tell you, as opposed to going down to Springfield."

Roselle resident Angela Pun asked the board why they are considering this measure now, as opposed to five years ago.

Trustee Ron Sass and Village President Gayle Smolinski said home rule would give Roselle the power to generate more revenue and gain a better oversight of village businesses, but the board is still doing its homework.

"We are in serious financial trouble," Sass said. "Five years ago things were fine. Times change. Tonight is purely giving us more education - no decision has been made by this board to go to referendum (asking for home rule status) or not."

Currently, Roselle is facing a $1 million budget shortfall that resulted last month in furlough days for all nonunion village employees, among other cost-cutting measures. Village hall is now closed one Friday per month.

As the village board further explores the possibility of becoming home rule, Lucansky suggested holding public forums to discuss the topic with residents. He said the most common resident objection to home rule is expanding a municipality's power to increase taxes.

"If you're not involved (in municipal government), a lot of people don't understand what home rule means," said Lucansky.

No future forums have yet been scheduled.