'Why shouldn't we consider it?' Libertyville may put marijuana question to voters April 4
The Libertyville village board tonight will consider asking voters whether the sale of recreational marijuana products should be allowed at state-licensed dispensaries in town.
Mayor Donna Johnson introduced the resolution calling for a nonbinding, advisory referendum on the April 4 ballot.
The matter will be considered during the board's regular meeting at 8 p.m. at village hall, 118 W. Cook Ave., but it's not necessarily a done deal, as two trustees have publicly come out against the idea.
"I expect robust discussion," Johnson said.
Johnson was a village trustee in October 2019, when the board unanimously enacted an ordinance prohibiting the production, sale and use of recreational marijuana in Libertyville shortly before it became legal in Illinois.
Trustees at the time said the uncertain monetary benefit wasn't worth the potential pitfalls.
But as a hedge against a change of heart, village officials in August 2021 agreed to impose a 3% tax - the maximum allowed - on recreational marijuana sales should the village decide to allow it.
Johnson said that increases in crime haven't materialized in towns with dispensaries and that marijuana sales could be a source of revenue for village needs down the line.
"Why shouldn't we consider it?" she said of an advisory referendum.
"Since then (2019) so many communities like ours have shifted and are looking at it because of the economics," she said.
Last week, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced that 2022 set adult use cannabis sales records in every category it tracks.
Dispensaries in 2022 sold more than $1.55 billion worth of products, up more than 12% from 2021 and 131% from 2020. According to the agency, 189 conditional dispensary licenses are in process of becoming fully licensed.
As marijuana sales are a touchy topic, some residents may feel more comfortable expressing their opinion at the ballot box rather than in a public forum, Johnson said.
"It's my responsibility to put it out there to see what they think," she added. "This is a means to take the temperature of where people are."
But pursuing an advisory referendum is not a slam dunk.
In a Facebook post last month, Trustee Matt Hickey, citing an informal discussion by the board Dec. 13, said it's apparent there is an "honest disagreement" between Johnson and trustees.
"This is especially so given the mayor's debatable argument related to the village's future revenue and expense forecast and the lack of a resident and trustee engagement around where a potential future dispensary could be located within the village that is acceptable to the community," Hickey posted.
Hickey said that before the board approves a nonbinding referendum, Johnson "must do the hard work" of listening to residents and collaborating with trustees to develop a village-specific ordinance and hold public hearings.
Trustee Jim Connell also said in a social media post that he opposes a dispensary and will vote against the advisory referendum.
"Time to get to work on other important matters and table this topic for another day years from now or perhaps never again," he posted.
As of midafternoon Monday, an unrelated change.org petition in support of a nonbinding referendum had received 21 of the goal 100 signatures.