Few referendums on Lake Co, ballot in February

Only five referendums will appear on Lake County's primary-election ballots in February 2010, the smallest number veteran County Clerk Willard Helander can recall.

And of those five questions, only two concern property-tax rates. The other three simply are advisory and have no real power.

Helander attributed the relative lack of questions to the struggling economy. Local board members likely realize requests for building or operating funds wouldn't be well received when people are having trouble paying their mortgages or are worried about keeping their jobs.

"It's not a good time to say 'We need to expand or do other things that are expensive,'" Helander said.

Thursday was the deadline for government agencies to submit ballot questions to the clerk's office for the Feb. 2 primary.

The questions affect residents in:

•Lake Forest, where voters will be asked if the General Assembly and governor should take immediate steps to reform the pension system. The question is advisory.

•Barrington, where voters will face the pension question.

•Tower Lakes, where voters will be asked to create a new tax rate for garbage services.

•Wheeling, where voters will decide if the village should increase the monthly 911 telephone system surcharge.

•Shields Township, where voters will face an advisory question concerning a proposal to reduce property taxes for senior citizens.

It's not unusual for Lake County ballots to feature more than a dozen referendums. Sixteen questions were on the ballot in November 2008.

One of the most referendum-heavy ballots in recent history appeared in March 2002, when 30 questions were put to voters.

This year's crop of referendums is even smaller than the April 2007 group, which featured seven questions.

"I doubt we've ever had this few," Helander said.

Whether it's been in person, at meetings or in letters written to local newspapers, elected officials have heard residents complain about the economy, taxes and the need to control government spending, Helander said.

"(People) are saying, 'We're all having a hard time, and you need to recognize it,'" she said. "There's a limit."