Home-rule forum set for Sunday in Batavia

Undecided about whether to let Batavia keep home-rule authority?

The League of Women Voters of Central Kane County is hosting a forum at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Eastside Community Center, Wilson Street and Van Buren Avenue.

People from Batavians For Responsible Government and the Vote No Keep Home Rule groups have been invited to participate.

The forum will be moderated by representatives of the Citizens Advocacy Center, an Elmhurst-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

Members of Batavians For Responsible Government put a referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot asking voters if the city should cease being a home-rule government.

Batavia obtained home-rule authority in 2009 because its population grew past 25,000. The state constitution automatically grants home-rule powers to municipalities of 25,000 or more.

According to the Illinois constitution, municipalities and counties with home-rule authority "may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs including, but not limited to, the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals and welfare; to license; to tax; and to incur debt."

Non-home-rule units have only the authority granted to them by the state legislature.

Opponents of home rule do not like the city's ability to increase property taxes at rates higher than that allowed under the state's property tax cap law, and its ability to borrow money via general-obligation bonds without having to ask voters.

The city also used its home-rule authority to institute other taxes, including a tax on the sale of alcoholic beverages and a tax on gasoline sales. They prefer that such decisions be left to voters to decide, via referendums.

Proponents of keeping home rule have said the liquor and gasoline taxes were good ways to avoid increasing property taxes even more, because those taxes are paid by shoppers and motorists who may come from other towns.

They also have cited the crime-free housing law Batavia was able to adopt as a benefit. The police chief has said calls for service to large apartment complexes have declined since the law was instituted.