Cicero residents appeared Tuesday to be approving overwhelmingly an advisory referendum asking whether the suburb should close its late-night bars earlier. The measure racked up a big ”yes” vote in early returns.
As election officials tallied votes from 65 referendums on suburban ballots, supporters of a referendum asking Libertyville Township residents to slow development there said they were confident of a victory. At the same time, a measure to consolidate four Lake County suburbs into the new City of Round Lake was considered too close to call.
The Can Do Committee of Cicero was predicting victory in its effort to pressure the town board into closing all bars by 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends.
Some precincts voted as much as 13 to 1 in favor of the earlier bar hours, a surprising rejection of the Republican-dominated town administration that had tried for two years to keep the referendum off the ballot.
”We`re in ecstasy. It seems that the people of Cicero are actually taking the government into their own hands,” said David Boyle, an organizer in the early-closing campaign. ”This town has long been ruled by these all-night bars and other late-night interests, and it seems that that hold has been broken.”
Cicero is one of the few towns in the area that allow taverns to stay open as late as 6 a.m. and reopen as early as 8 a.m. The supporters of the earlier closing hours said the all-night bars breed prostitution, drug use and illegal gun sales.
Regardless of the referendum, the Cicero town board would still have to approve earlier closing times for the bars.
The leaders of a campaign to create a City of Round Lake said early returns showed that they had won over voters in the suburbs of Round Lake, Round Lake Beach and Round Lake Heights. But the decision to consolidate hinged on a close vote in Round Lake Park. A majority was needed in each of the four towns to pass the measure.
If it passes, it would mark the first time in Illinois history that communities have disbanded to form a new town.
”I think we`re going to pull it off tonight,” said Charles Johnston, who led the campaign for consolidation. ”We had an incredible turnout.”
But many of the municipal officials who opposed the consolidation said they were confident the effort will fail. ”We`re a sort of conservative village, and our streets are good, our water is good. We had everything to lose and nothing to gain by this,” said Rudy Magna, mayor of the village of Round Lake.
In Libertyville Township, Supervisor F.T. ”Mike” Graham said early vote totals indicated that a proposition that the township buy vacant farmland and preserve it as open space in an effort to slow future development would win
”handily.”
The vote would allow the township to buy about $25 million worth of the 1,380-acre Cuneo estate, which Libertyville has been working to annex and zone for residential and commercial development. The village board strongly opposed the proposal, arguing that the land should be developed.
An advisory group has been formed to consider how the land should be used if the referendum passes. Most of it may be rented to farmers, while some portions may be reserved for water recreation and golf, Graham said.
Paul Neal, president of Libertyville, said Graham and his supporters have been arguing for months that it will cost homeowners more in the long run to develop the land than to buy it and leave it alone. But Neal said a new study commissioned by the village board proves that this is not true and that development is the more economical choice.
In other referendums, Homewood residents voted in favor of creating a Homewood library district, and Hometown residents voted in favor of increasing taxes to improve the town library.
In Barrington, residents voted in favor of spending $3.8 million for a new water system, including a new well.
In Waukegan Unit District 60, voters approved an increase in the education-fund tax rate to $2.98 from $2.23.
In Franklin Park, voters rejected an effort to give home-rule powers to the village board.
In another race, Wilmington voters in Will County were considering a referendum to spend $1.8 million to improve their water system.
In Streamwood, voters overwhelmingly rejected two measures seeking to build a $2.9 million community center and to pass a tax levy of 75 cents per $100 equalized assessed valuation to operate the center.
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Here are the referendums in Tuesday`s local elections and some unofficial results. (Tax rates are based per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.)
SCHOOL REFERENDUMS
Cook County
Brookfield Elementary District 95 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $2.47 from $1.67. (partial) Yes 977; no 844.
Chicago Heights Elementary District 170 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate by 50 cents. Results unavailable.
Lemont High School District 210 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $1.52 from $1.07. Results unavailable.
Thornton Community College 510 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to 17 cents from 10 cents. (partial) Yes 6,639; no 8,379; seeking to increase the operations-fund tax rate to 10 cents from 5 cents. (partial) Yes 5,744; no 8,179; and seeking to sell $1.95 in bonds for a utility and maintenance building. (partial) Yes 6,204; no 7,775.
Du Page County
McAuley Elementary District 27 (West Chicago) seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $1.62 from 92 cents. Results unavailable.
Woodridge Elementary District 68 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $2.08 from $1.63. Results unavailable. Kane County
Community Unit District 301 seeking to increase the district`s education- fund tax rate to $2.70 from $2.20. Yes 525; no 544; and seeking to sell $450,000 in bonds to build an addition to Plano Center School. Yes 554; no 505.
Geneva Unit District 304 seeking to increase the operations-fund tax rate to 67 cents from 37 cents. Yes 1,414; no 1,486.
Lake County
Zion Elementary District 6 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $1.99 from $1.58. Results unavailable.
Grayslake Elmentary District 46 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $2.01 from $1.21. Results unavailable.
Avon Center Elementary District 47 seeking to increase education- fund tax rate to $2 from $1.45. Results unavailable.
Waukegan Unit District 60 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $2.98 from $2.23. Results unavailable.
Grayslake High School District 127 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $1.71 from $1.21. Results unavailable.
McHenry County
Consolidated District 8 seeking to increase the educational-fund tax rate to $2 from $1.41. (partial) Yes 62; no 112.
Riley District 18, Marengo seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $1.90 from $1.30. (partial) Yes 133; no 263.
Crystal Lake Community Consolidated 47 seeking to increase the education- fund tax rate to $2.06 from $1.68. (partial) Yes 1,183; no 1,499.
Harvard Consolidated District 50 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $2.64 from $2.30 and seeking to increase the operations-fund tax rate to 62 cents from 37 cents. Results unavailable.
Marengo Elementary District 140 seeking to increase the district`s education-fund tax rate to $1.81 from $1.41. (partial) Yes 106; no 184.
Huntley District 158 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $3.45 from $2.61 and seeking to increase the operations-fund tax rate to 50 cents from 37 cents. Results unavailable.
Woodstock Community Unit 200 seeking to increase the educational-fund tax rate to $2.99 from $2.01. (partial) Yes 1,452; no 1,645.
Will County
Oswego Unit District 308 seeking to increase the education-fund tax rate to $2.72 from $2.
MUNICIPAL AND OTHER LOCAL REFERENDUMS
Cook County
Alsip Park District seeking to sell $1.75 million in bonds for an aquatic park. Yes 1,026; no 972.
Barrington seeking to sell $3.8 million in bonds to improve water system. Yes 453; no 207.
Brookfield seeking to increase the police-protection tax to 30 cents from 15 cents. (partial) Yes 707; no 707; and seeking to increase the fire-protection tax to 30 cents from 15 cents. (partial) Yes 736; no 674.
Burbank seeking to have city alderman elected citywide, rather than by districts. Yes 774; no 607.
Cicero seeking to shorten hours that taverns can be open to 2 a.m., instead of 4 a.m. or 6 a.m. (partial) Yes 4,354; no 1,577.
Flossmoor seeking to sell $850,000 in bonds for street renovation.
(partial) Yes 523; no 391; seeking to sell $850,000 in bonds for storm-water management. (partial) Yes 558; no 377 and seeking to sell $300,000 for water system improvement. (partial) Yes 550; no 399.
Forest View seeking to continue RTA bus service in the village. Yes 284; no 46.
Forest View Park District seeking to sell some real estate. Yes 226; no 65.
Franklin Park seeking home-rule status. Yes 685; no 1,859.
Hoffman Estates seeking to increase the size of the liquor commission. Yes 1,176; no 532; seeking to endorse efforts to get the Illinois General Assembly to set up a state consumer insurance board. Yes 959; no 728; and seeking approval for the use of garbage cans in the village, as opposed to the present system of bagging garbage. Yes 198; no 1,551.
Homewood considers creating a public library district. Yes 760; no 643. Hometown seeking to increase the library-tax fund rate to 20 cents from 15 cents. Yes 671; no 109.
Lansing asking if candidates for local public office should receive 50 percent of the vote. Yes 765; no 1,140.
Markham seeking to increase the fire-protection tax to 40 cents from 15 cents. (partial) Yes 857; no 723; seeking to cut the size of the city council in half. Yes 963; no 472; and seeking to increase the ambulance service tax to 25 cents from 15 cents. (partial) Yes 757; no 725.
Niles Public Library District seeking to annex three parcels of territory. (partial) parcel 1, Yes 843; no 437; parcel 2, Yes 843; no 466;
parcel 3, Yes 805; no 586.
Oak Park seeking to repeal ordinance banning handguns. (partial) Yes 5,735; no 7,197.
River Forest seeking to increase the police-protection tax to 40 cents from 7 cents. Yes 780; no 547.
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Riverside seeking to increase the police-protection tax to 40 cents from 7 cents. Yes 1,675; no 1,080; and seeking to increase the fire-protection tax to 40 cents from 7 cents. YEs 1,678; no 1,059.
South Palos Sanitary District seeking to operate its own water works system. Yes 323; no 216.
Streamwood seeking to sell $2.9 million in bonds to build a community center. Yes 1,226; no 260; and seeking to levy a 7 cent tax for its operations. Yes 1,252; no 243.
Westchester seeking to adopt the manager form of government. Yes 1,665;
no 1,145.
Du Page County
Addison and Itasca Fire Protection Districts, parts of Itasca district seeking to transfer to Addison district. Results unavailable.
Clarendon Heights Fire Protection District seeking to increase tax rate to 40 cents from 25 cents. Results unavailable.
Clarendon Hills seeking to sell $950,000 to improve storm drainage system. Results unavailable.
DuPage County Water Commission seeking to sell $150 million in general obligation bonds to finance obtaining Lake Michigan water pipeline. (partial) Yes 9,488; no 6,384.
Glenside Public Library District seeking to increase tax rate to 25 cents from 15 cents. (partial) Yes 206; no 447.
Lisle Public Library District seeking to increase the tax rate to 40 cents from 15 cents. Results unavailable.
Winfield Fire Protection District seeking to create a 30 cent ambulance tax. (partial) Yes 407; no 716.
Kane County
Algonquin Area Public Library District, annexation of land. Results unavailable.
Elburn seeking to sell $500,00 in bonds for improvement of the water system. (partial) Yes 159; no 58.
Gilberts seeking to increase the police-protection tax and seeking to increase the general fund tax rate. Results unavailable.
Hampshire Township seeking to create the Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District. (partial) Yes 344; no 58.
Lake County
Cook Memorial Library District (Libertyville) and Fremont Public Library District (Mundelein), some territory seeking to transfer from Cook District to Fremont District. Results unavailable.
Grayslake Park District seeking to create a 2 cent tax for handicapped recreation programs. Results unavailable.
Lake Villa seeking to increase police protection fund to 22.5 cents from 15 cents. Results unavailable.
Libertyville Township seeking to establish and open-space district and seeking to set a tax rate for the district and sell bonds. Results
unavailable.
Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park seeking to be one unified city. Results unavailable.
Round Lake Area Public Library District seeking to sell $1,875,000 in bonds to built a new library and seeking to increase the district tax rate to 27 cents from 15 cents.
McHenry County
Harvard seeking to purchase 16 acres of land for development of a park. Results unavailable.
Woodstock seeking to sell $987,500 in bonds to build a library addition.
(partial) Yes 1,074; no 796.
Will County
Channahon (advisory) should a utility tax starting at 2 1/2 percent at first and not to exceed 5 percent be imposed to continue and improve city services. Results unavailable.
Crete Public Library District seeking to annex more territory. Results unavailable.
Monee seeking to sell $380,000 in sewer bonds. Results unavailable.
Wilmington seeking to sell $1.7 million in bonds to improve water system. Yes 385; no 229.