Libertyville voters soundly defeated a $20.1 million library referendum proposal Tuesday night by a 3-1 ratio, while Mundelein voters passed a $10 million library referendum proposition, according to final unofficial results.
The proposal to relocate and renovate the 30-year-old Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville also called for constructing a $16 million building at Lake Harvey in Vernon Hills and a $4.1 million renovation of the current library. The Libertyville proposal would have increased the annual tax bill on a $200,000 home by about $95.
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“We got smashed. The logical question is, `What we do next?’ ” said Library Board President Joe Bean. “I’m surprised. I really am. The most important thing is nobody won tonight, and beating the referendum does not solve the space problem. . . . There was an awful lot of misinformation, and it saddens me that it was intentionally done.”
Doug Hansmann, a member of Don’t Downsize Cook Library, a group that opposed the referendum proposal, said the results indicated just how out of touch with the district the Library Board has become. Hansmann said he felt that the proposal was biased toward Vernon Hills in that it gave that town a new library, but hurt Libertyville by reducing services offered at its library.
In the Fremont Library District in Mundelein, there was a split decision. Voters approved a $10 million bond issue to build a two-story, 56,000-square-foot library on Midlothian Road, just north of Illinois Highway 176. With all 18 precincts reporting, 55 percent favored the measure, while 45 percent opposed it.
But district officials saw another proposal defeated. In the second ballot measure, officials asked for an increase in the tax rate, from 22 cents to 33 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, to fund operations of the new library and to remodel and operate the existing Lake Street library. With all 18 precincts reporting, 63 percent opposed it while 37 percent approved it. Had the measure been approved, the annual tax bill on a $150,000 home would have gone up by about $103.
“We’re really pleased that we got the new building, but it is disappointing that we weren’t able to pass the second issue,” said Richard Callahan, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Fremont Public Library.
In other referendum proposals on the ballot Tuesday:
– A $29.3 million bond issue in Kildeer Elementary School District 96 was approved by voters. With all 23 precincts reporting, 67 percent of voters favored the measure. Officials proposed the bond issue to construct one building that would house two schools to handle rising enrollment in district. No increase in the annual tax rate will result.
– In Barrington Community School District 220, unofficial results showed 57 percent of the voters supported a $69.9 million bond issue to finance the renovation of seven elementary schools and Barrington High School in the 72-square-mile district.
– A proposal for a library fund tax-rate hike for the Zion-Benton Public Library was defeated. With all 26 precincts reporting, 62 percent of those casting ballots opposed the measure.
– Voters approved a proposal by the Round Lake Area Library Board to pay for building improvements that include moving the youth services department downstairs to free up more room on the main floor. With all 16 precincts reporting, 55 percent of the voters cast ballots in favor of the proposal.
– In Antioch, voters approved a $2.5 million bond issue to build a new fire station and a new public-safety building for police. With all eight precincts reporting, 63 percent of the votes favored the measure.
– The Park District of Highland Park asked voters to approve an additional tax of 25 cents for district operations. With all 30 precincts reporting, 62 percent of the votes opposed the measure.