The Rockford Area Association of REALTORS® held a press conference Tuesday to urge Rockford voters to vote “no” on a March 20 referendum about Home Rule.
If passed, the referendum would allow the Rockford City Council to raise local taxes without approval of local voters. Illinois REALTORS® Local Government Affairs Director Conor Brown and Rockford Area Association of REALTORS® CEO Steve Bois spoke out against the Home Rule referendum. See the Rockford Register Star article.
In a story on mystateline.com, REALTORS® cited four reasons to oppose the referendum and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara cited several ordinances that the Rockford City Council could vote on next week to quell the fears of referendum opponents. The article also mentions the REALTORS® criticism of the city’s current property taxes and the lack of a plan to reduce them.
Illinois REALTORS® has worked against Home Rule measures for years, arguing that voters should have a direct say on a local tax increase. In 2017, Illinois REALTORS® supported efforts to defeat Home Rule referendums in five communities: Coal City, Creve Coeur, Lynwood, Ottawa and Warrensburg. In 2016, Illinois REALTORS® supported the defeat of Home Rule initiatives in Auburn, Westville and Yorkville.
