Petition drive to kill Campton near goal

A petition drive aimed at dissolving the newborn village of Campton Hills is on track to clear its first major legal hurdle, organizers said Monday.

After a weekend of going door-to-door, dissolution proponents have collected about 1,800 signatures toward a 2,400-signature goal, organizer Chris Baldwin said.

The group, calling itself the Stop Campton Hills Public Action Committee, needs just more than 2,000 signatures to put a referendum question on the Feb. 5 primary ballot, asking voters whether the village should be dissolved. Organizers are trying to collect more than enough.

"If trending stays true, we're good," Baldwin said. "But we're not going to sit back. We're going to continue to canvass."

Baldwin estimated that 60 to 70 supporters circulated petitions over the weekend. Organizers originally set Sunday as the deadline for signatures, but several petitions still were being passed around Monday, he said.

If the committee gets enough signatures by the Nov. 19 filing date, it would be able to put the question on the ballot.

But another legal hurdle awaits.

Village officials, who oppose the dissolution movement, already have voted to put three advisory referendum questions -- the maximum number, under state statue -- on the ballot. That means dissolution proponents would need special permission from a judge or election officials to pose a fourth question.

Baldwin said the group will wait until all the signatures are in before taking the matter to election officials.

"I don't want to assume anything at this point," he said.

Meanwhile, the committee is organizing a full slate of candidates to run for elected village positions in the primary.

Among those up for election are the village president, clerk and six trustee positions, all of which are now held by appointees.

Getting dissolution proponents in elected seats will prevent village leadership from "getting out of control" should the dissolution push be tied up in court, Baldwin said.

The Stop Campton Hills group claims incorporation proponents drastically underestimated the costs of operating a new municipality and residents eventually will face higher taxes.

Village President Patsy Smith responded in a statement Monday, saying the organization is using misinformation, such as the taxes claim, to get signatures.

"Some people who realize they have been misled have requested their names be withdrawn from the petitions," she said.