These Are the Referendum Questions on Chicago, Suburban Cook County Voters' Ballots

Voters
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In addition to voting for their candidates of choice, Cook County residents will have a chance to weigh in on various referendum questions using their ballots on March 17.

While county officials oversee local elections, the questions specific to certain municipalities will only appear on ballots for residents of those areas.

To be prepared before heading to your polling place, here's a look at every other proposal appearing on ballots in municipalities across Chicago and suburban Cook County —

CHICAGO 

  • 3rd Ward, Precincts 2, 7, 8, 18, 23, 24, 28, 29, 37, 38 – Advisory referendum on whether a senior center should be built in the Bronzeville neighborhood

SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY

  • Town of Cicero - Should the sale of cannabis and cannabis products for recreational use by adults 21 and older be allowed at licensed dispensaries within the Town of Cicero?
  • City of Blue Island - Shall the City of Blue Island restrict the number of aldermen to seven (7) aldermen, with one (1) alderman representing each ward?
  • City of Blue Island - Shall the City of Blue Island establish a Road Maintenance Fund and dedicate resources to this Fund for investment in its public infrastructure including but not limited to investment in its roads, alleys, paths and sidewalks?
  • City of Blue Island - Shall any monies saved by reducing the number of City of Blue Island alderman from fourteen (14) to seven (7) be deposited in a Road Maintenance Fund and be used to repair and maintain the City of Blue Island's public infrastructure including its streets and alleys?
  • Village of Burr Ridge - Shall the Village of Burr Ridge become a home rule unit?
  • Village of Calumet Park - Shall the terms of office for those persons elected to the offices of Village President, Village Clerk or Village Trustee in the Village of Calumet Park, at the consolidated election to be held April 6, 2021, and at each election for any of said offices thereafter, be limited such that no person so elected may serve more than three (3) consecutive full four (4) year terms in the same office?
  • Village of Calumet Park - Shall the Village of Calumet Park initiate the process by which the Local Public Library for the Village of Calumet Park be disestablished and dissolved?
  • Village of Calumet Park - Shall the Village of Calumet Park support its Active Military residents and amend the Village of Calumet Park Code of Ordinances to provide an exemption from the Motor Vehicle Wheel Tax such that a motor vehicle license or sticker shall be issued at no charge for a single passenger vehicle owned by a veteran upon showing valid proof of service, registration, and residence?
  • City of Des Plaines - Shall the City Clerk in the City of Des Plaines be appointed by the City Manager rather than be elected?
  • Village of Elk Grove Village - Should the Village have local neighborhood community events?
  • Village of Elk Grove Village - Shall the terms of office for those persons seeking nomination or election to, or who are holding the office of, Village President (Mayor) and Village Trustee in the Village of Elk Grove Village, be limited such that, at the February 23, 2021 Consolidated Primary Election and all subsequent elections, no person shall be eligible to seek nomination or election to, or to hold , elected office in the Village of Elk Grove Village where that person has held the same elected office for two (2) or more consecutive, four (4) year terms?
  • City of Evanston - Shall the City's offices of mayor, city alderman, and city clerk be elected in nonpartisan elections and, if necessary, non-partisan primaries commencing with the election to be held in 2020 and thereafter?
  • Village of Hoffman Estates - Shall the Village of Hoffman Estates encourage the creation of a full interchange at Beverly Road and the I-90 Jane Addams Memorial Tollway?
  • Village of Hoffman Estates - Shall the Village of Hoffman Estates encourage the State of Illinois to appoint judges based on merit?
  • Village of Hoffman Estates - Shall the Village of Hoffman Estates encourage the development of entertainment venues within the Village of Hoffman Estates' Economic Development Area?
  • Village of Lemont - Shall the Village of Lemont, in Counties of Cook, Will and DuPage, Illinois, allow the operation of a recreational cannabis (marijuana) dispensary within its jurisdiction?
  • Village of Lynwood, Referendum Question 3        Shall the Village of Lynwood become a Home Rule Unit of Government pursuant to Article VII, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Illinois?
  • Village of Lynwood - Shall the Village of Lynwood, Cook County Illinois adopt the following term limits to be effective for, and applicable to all persons who are candidates for those offices being elected at the Consolidated General election on April 6, 2021 and subsequent elections, so that no person may hold office of Village President, Village Clerk, or Village Trustee for more than two four year terms prospectively?
  • Village of Lynwood - Shall the Village of Lynwood, Cook County Illinois pursue obtaining its own United States postal zip code?
  • City of Northlake - Shall the City of Northlake allow cannabis businesses to operate within the City of Northlake?
  • Village of Riverside - Shall the Village of Riverside, Cook County, Illinois, renovate the interior of the lower level of the Riverside Public Library building and furnish necessary equipment in connection therewith and issue its bonds to the amount of $1,500,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • Village of Riverside - Shall the terms of office for those persons elected to the offices of Village President or Village Trustee in the Village of Riverside at the Consolidated Election to be held on April 6, 2021, and at each election for such offices thereafter, be limited such that a person so elected may serve no more than three (3) consecutive full four (4) year terms in the office of Village President, and no more than three (3) consecutive full four (4) year terms in the office of Village Trustee?
  • City of Rolling Meadows - Shall the terms of office for those persons elected to the office of alderman in the City of Rolling Meadows at the April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election, and at each election thereafter, be limited such that no person shall be eligible to seek election to or hold the office of alderman where that person has been previously elected to the office of alderman of the City of Rolling Meadows for two (2) consecutive full four (4) year terms?
  • Village of Rosemont - Shall the Village of Rosemont, Cook County, Illinois, allow cannabis dispensaries to operate within the boundaries of the Village of Rosemont?
  • Village of Rosemont - Shall the Village of Rosemont allow video gaming to operate within the boundaries of the Village of Rosemont?
  • Village of Stone Park - Shall the Stone Park Fire Department serving the citizens with the Village of Stone Park cease to provide emergency services and be dissolved and discontinued?
  • Village of Westchester - Shall the Village of Westchester prohibit the location of adult-use cannabis dispensing organizations within the Village of Westchester?
  • Village of Westchester - Shall the Village of Westchester become a home rule unit?
  • Village of Wheeling - Shall the Village Clerk of the Village of Wheeling be appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Trustees, rather than be elected?
  • Unit School District 220 - Shall the Board of Education of Barrington Community Unit School District Number 220, Lake, Cook, Kane and McHenry Counties, Illinois, build and equip additions to and alter, repair and equip existing buildings, including but not limited to renovating instructional spaces, restrooms and food service areas, installing school safety and security improvements, replacing roofs and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and constructing additions to eliminate mobile classrooms, improve school sites and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $147,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • Unit School District 401 - Shall the Board of Education of Elmwood Park Community Unit School District Number 401, Cook County, Illinois, build and equip an addition to and renovate, alter, repair and equip the existing John Mills Elementary School Building, renovate, alter, repair and equip the existing Elmwood Elementary School Building, install safety and security improvements, improve sites and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $55,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • School District 34 - Shall the Board of Education of Glenview Community Consolidated School District Number 34, Cook County, Illinois, improve the sites of, build and equip additions to and alter, repair and equip existing buildings, including but not limited to replacing fire suppression, plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems, increasing accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), improving underground stormwater detention, renovating and expanding Springman Middle School, adding classrooms for full-day kindergarten and renovating classrooms and science labs, and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $119,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • High School District 220 - Shall the Board of Education of Reavis Township High School District Number 220, Stickney Township and Cook County, Illinois, construct, improve, renovate, alter, repair, and replace portions of the Reavis Township High School Building and Campus, including, but not limited to, building a new Field House; improving School Safety, Communication, and Emergency Response Systems and Equipment; renovating the current Industrial Tech/STEM/Pool Wing; to assist in funding the District's portion of a new A.E.R.O. Special Education Cooperative building; altering facilities to make them Americans with Disabilities Act accessible to persons with disabilities; repairing 70-year old building infrastructure; improving the HVAC, electrical capacity, plumbing, roofing, tuck pointing (the "Project"), at a cost of $45,000,000.00?
  • School District 78 - Shall the Board of Education of Rosemont School District Number 78, Cook County, Illinois, build and equip a new school building for instructional purposes and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $40,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • School District 81 - Shall the Board of Education of Schiller Park School District Number 81, Cook County, Illinois, build and equip a school building to replace the Washington Elementary School Building, install fire suppression systems, security systems and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance measures therein, acquire land therefor, improve the site thereof and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $30,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • School District 87 - Shall the Board of Education of Berkeley School District Number 87, Cook County, Illinois, build and equip a school building to replace the Sunnyside Intermediate and MacArthur Middle School Buildings, build and equip additions to and alter, repair and equip the Riley Intermediate and Northlake Middle School Buildings, alter, repair and equip the Whittier Primary and Jefferson Primary School Buildings, improve sites, renovate instructional spaces, provide STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) labs, construct life safety, security and infrastructure improvements and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $105,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • School District 94 - Shall Komarek School District Number 94, Cook County, Illinois, build and equip additions to, alter, repair, equip, demolish a portion of and improve the site of the existing Komarek School building, and issue its bonds to the amount of $20,800,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
  • Morton Grove Park District - Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Morton Grove Park District, Cook County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to .105% above the limiting rate for levy year 2018 for the purposes of renovating, redeveloping, operating, and maintaining the property and facilities known as Harrer Park Pool, owned by the Morton Grove Park District, and for other lawful purposes of the Morton Grove Park District, and be equal to .400% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2020?" 1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recently extended limiting rate is $2,307,783, and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $3,129,197. 2) For the 2020 levy year the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $30.57. 3) If the proposition is approved, the aggregate extension for 2020 will be determined by the limiting rate set forth in the proposition, rather than the otherwise applicable limiting rate calculated under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as the Property Tax Cap Law).
  • South Barrington Park District - Shall the South Barrington Park District, Cook County, Illinois, sell the following described real estate: that approximately 34-acre parcel of real property consisting of all of the land, commonly known as "Area N," located at the southeast corner of Bartlett Road and Route 59 in South Barrington, Illinois?
  • Gail Borden Library District - Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for Gail Borden Public Library District, Kane County and Cook County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.08765% above the limiting rate for levy year 2018 in Kane County, Illinois and by an additional amount equal to 0.0850% above the limiting rate for levy year 2018 in Cook County, Illinois for the purpose of the establishment, maintenance, and support of a public library and be equal to 0.486% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2020?" 1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recently extended limiting rate is $12,321,622.56, and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $15,009,960.42. 2) For the 2020 levy year the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $29.22 in Kane County, Illinois and $24.74 in Cook County, Illinois. 3) If the proposition is approved, the aggregate extension for 2020 will be determined by the limiting rate set forth in the proposition rather than the otherwise applicable limiting rate calculated under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as the Property Tax Cap Law).
  • Yorkfield Fire Protection District - Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Yorkfield Fire Protection District, Cook and DuPage Counties, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.20% above the limiting rate for fire protection and ambulance purposes for levy year 2018 and be equal to 0.4186% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2020?" 1) The approximate amount of taxes extendable at the most recent extended limiting rate is $117,196, and the approximate amount of taxes extendable if the proposition is approved is $224,420. 2) For the 2020 levy year the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single-family residence and having a fair market value at the time of referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $66.67 in DuPage County and $58.22 in Cook County. 3) If the proposition is approved, the aggregate extension for 2020 will be determined by the limiting rate set forth in the proposition, rather than the otherwise applicable limiting rate calculated under the provisions of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as the Property Tax Cap Law).
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