Campton Hills referendum petition certified

A controversial referendum petition proposing the dissolution of Campton Hills was certified this morning, despite efforts by the village board to keep the question off the November ballot.

The certification means voters would decide whether the one-year-old municipality is reverted to unincorporated Kane County, as long as the petition survives any potentially forthcoming legal challenges on behalf of the village.

For nearly a year, town officials have been fighting incorporation opponents' efforts to either secede parts of the village or undo its May 2007 incorporation entirely through the referendum question. Among the more brazen methods was the recent adoption of a resolution that specifically threatened legal action against Village Clerk Carolyn Higgins, who has supported dissolution, should she certify the petition.

Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti said Tuesday that he took the situation under review last week at the request of Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham. Over the next several days, the village board repealed or revised the resolution and village code to clear the way for Higgins to certify the question without personal legal repercussions.

The final revision was made at an emergency meeting Tuesday night. Higgins certified the petition first thing this morning, officials said.