Midterm elections bring wave of referendums to suburban voters

A slew of measures to increase property taxes to fund school renovations, library expansions and other projects are among the referendums suburban voters will consider when they head to the polls this fall.

Meanwhile, the Nov. 3 midterms could energize Democratic voters, who may be more willing to support referendum questions while they’re at the polls voting for Congress, governor and other races, said Brian Costin, deputy state director of the libertarian think tank Americans for Prosperity-Illinois.

Costin, who has led bully pulpit campaigns on social media and elsewhere against the tax hike measures, suspects local governments placed their questions on the November ballot because they expect a greater chance of success compared to other election cycles.

“The midterms are typically pretty bad years for the incumbent party. People are more motivated on the Democratic side of the aisle to get out and vote. That’s just historically what has always happened,” Costin said. “So there probably is some advantageous thoughts in regards to the timing of putting some of these referendums on the ballot.”

Here is a look at some of the major questions in the suburbs:

Cook County

Northwest Suburban High School District 214’s first referendum in more than a half-century will ask voter support for $295 million in new bonding authority for renovations at all six schools.

It comes after years of facilities planning and more intense discussion in recent months about aging infrastructure needs within the Arlington Heights-based district, where buildings are between 53 and nearly 70 years old.

Proposed upgrades cover 13 project areas: door hardware and card access; fire alarm systems; elevators; stadium and gym bleachers safety; roofs; windows; pavement; HVAC; boilers; plumbing; electrical; science lab; and theater renovations.

Owners of a home valued at $396,500 would pay $170 more a year in property taxes, based on a 25-year bond repayment schedule, estimates show.

Critics have wondered how building maintenance needs — and associated costs in the millions of dollars — have added up over the years.

But district officials tout a “record of stewardship,” pointing to a capital projects program that has funded annual repairs since 1985. Nearly $200 million has been spent over the past decade to replace roofs, HVAC systems, lighting and technology, amid other ongoing maintenance.

Officials also frame their $295 million ask as “scaled back” and “narrowed” from a facilities assessment four years ago that identified some $850 million in potential upgrades. They say the referendum now focuses on the district’s “most pressing foundational needs.”

“Our buildings have been maintained carefully for decades, and maintenance can extend the life of a system but cannot make it permanent,” Superintendent Scott Rowe said. “The community asked us to focus on what matters most and to respect what households can afford. That is what the board placed on the ballot, and the decision now belongs to the voters.”

Lake County

In the Lincolnshire area, Vernon Area Public Library District voters are being asked to allow the district to issue $39.5 million in general obligation bonds to renovate and expand the library at 300 Olde Half Day Road.

Officials say it’s the district’s first request for new funding in more than 30 years and is needed to serve a population that has increased by more than 30% since the current library building opened in 1993.

The project is estimated at $53 million. Library officials say the district will cover $13.5 million of the total with existing savings and other non-referendum funds. If approved, the bond issue is estimated to cost the owner of a home with a market value of $400,000 about $121 more per year.

The plan calls for adding about 21,000 square feet to the existing 55,000-square-foot building. The new space would be an 11,000-square-foot addition connecting the main library to the original library building, now called the Annex. The 10,000-square-foot Annex would be renovated into a maker space and large program room.

Other features of the proposal include relocating the main entrance to be closer to parking; expanded spaces for programs and community use; additional study rooms; renovating existing spaces; and HVAC system and lighting upgrades.

“At the end of the project, the public will have access to much more space than they do now,” said Catherine Savage, head of integrated communications for the district.

Project information is available on the district website, vapld.info.

If the measure fails, library officials say they will use available resources to replace infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life and make other safety improvements.

The district serves 44,000 residents in Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Vernon Hills and neighboring communities.

Lake Zurich is seeking voter approval to issue $20.3 million in bonds to build and equip a new fire station to replace Station 1 at 321 S. Buesching Road.

Built in the 1970s, fire officials say the facility no longer meets modern emergency service needs and has reached the end of its useful life.

According to the village, the new station would improve emergency response capabilities and better support firefighter health, safety and wellness.

Among the deficiencies of the current station is a lack of adequate space for equipment storage and training, having the fire prevention bureau in a separate location, and not allowing for decontamination zones or isolated living quarters, officials said.

In 2024, a site selection study identified property at the northwest corner of Route 22 and Old Rand Road as the preferred location for a new station. Last fall, the village bought the land for $2.1 million.

In early August, the village board approved an ordinance to put the tax hike question on the ballot.

If approved, the owner of a home valued at $450,000 would pay about $205 more in property taxes each year. A tax calculator, Q & As, renderings and other information is available on the village website.

The village plans a “Just the Facts” tour, officials said. Details are pending.

Kane County

Voters in St. Charles Unit District 303 will decide whether the district should borrow $282.5 million for a host of building projects, in the first such referendum in 17 years.

Proposed projects include adding a $61 million field house to St. Charles North High School; enlarging three elementary schools; and razing and replacing wings at two elementary schools.

The plan’s cost totals $312 million, but the district says it will use $30 million it already has.

Every school and building in the district will get something. There’s $32 million worth of roof work on the list, and $54.5 million worth of mechanical, electrical and plumbing projects.

The plan calls for adding three classrooms each at Norton Creek, Ferson and Corron elementary schools, and spending $42 million to tear down two-story wings at Davis and Wild Rose elementary schools and replace them with single-story wings. The schools were built in the 1960s before disability access was required.

The district estimates that the owner of a $500,000 house would pay $645.77 more in property taxes per year if the ballot measure is approved.

District 303 educates students in St. Charles, West Chicago, Wayne, South Elgin, Campton Hills, Elburn and unincorporated areas including Wasco.

Meanwhile, Community Unit District 300 is seeking permission from voters to borrow $355.5 million to fund projects in the district.

District officials said the money would fund more than 20 proposed projects, including classroom additions at overcrowded schools, repairs to aging buildings, safety updates, entrance security improvements, and the construction of a new career and technical education center.

If voters approve the ballot measure, the owner of a $400,000 home would pay an additional $101 a year in property taxes to the school district, officials estimate.

District 300 encompasses all or parts of 15 municipalities, including Hampshire, Gilberts, Pingree Grove, Sleepy Hollow, Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Algonquin and Barrington Hills.

DuPage County

DuPage High School District 88 wants voters to approve spending $118 million to renovate Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools.

Its to-do list includes security improvements; updating fire protection and alarm systems; upgrading facilities to make them fully accessible; updating the construction trades and automotive technology spaces; replacing scoreboards and upgrading athletics fields; replacing electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems; and more.

The district says it can do this without increasing the property tax rate charged for debt because it will finish paying off other debt in 2028. If voters reject the request, then taxpayers would see a decrease in their tax bills. The current tax rate for debt is about 25 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.

Voters last approved borrowing money in 2007, when they agreed to let the district borrow $114 million.

Addison Trail High School is in Addison. Willowbrook High School is in Villa Park.

Daily Herald staff writers Mick Zawislak and Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report.