Since learning that the certified population of Freeport, Illinois has fallen below the 25,000 threshold the Freeport City Council has publicly talked more about home rule the fast few months than in all the preceding 30-years, despite using the vast powers of home rule regularly and liberally.
A year from now, at the general election, Freeporters will be voting on whether or not they want to remain an Illinois' home rule unit of government. As such it will be imperative for citizens to have credible and accurate information about the topic at hand.
Our current city manager has been seen on Rockford TV news and has written an article for the City of Freeport Newsletter for November on the topic of home rule. In both these instances Freeport City Manager Randy Bukas has purported that losing home rule would cause the city to lose the sales taxes that the city council has created without referendums. According to the city manager, this will cause property taxes to rise. Here is an excerpt from Manager Bukas' column from the city newsletter.
First, Tutty, and the public at large deserve a more authoritative source than the current city manager. Maybe this is true, maybe it is not, but in either instance the public should know how and why.
Second, Manager Bukas implies that property taxes will rise. How will this happen? Stephenson County voters approved the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) many moons ago. PTELL limits how much local units of government can raise property taxes. Because the City of Freeport is home rule they have not been bound by PTELL. Losing home rule would cause the City Council to be bound by the same property tax laws as every other unit of local government and school district wholly contained within Stephenson County.
What's more, if the citizens actually see a need for more revenue the Freeport Council could hold a real referendum and ask the public themselves how they feel. Despite the fact Freeport has a page full of taxes and a mountain of public debt, there has not been one binding referendum on a tax and spend issue in Freeport in 40-years, thanks completely to home rule powers.
Third, in 1992 the Freeport City Council used home rule to create the property transfer tax. Many other home rule municipalities had or did create similar taxes. This caused the Illinois' realtor lobby to push for a change in state statute which would preempt the power of home rule units to create such taxes. Just because the law has changed to now require a referendum to create such a tax, Freeport did not lose the ability to enforce a previously enacted tax.
The citizens of Freeport need authoritative answers to numerous questions, most of which the city manager alone is not equipped to handle. Of course he wants home rule, what city manager wouldn't? Home rule has been a financial get out jail free card for the Freeport City Council for the last 30-years.
Can citizens of Freeport count on the City Council to get us authoritative answers to these questions and many others? What do you think.
As always, yours in honesty, tutty.baker.gmail.com
Your questions are sensible, but I would give them more credence if I knew who you are. What is your agenda? Using a pseudonym does nothing to inspire confidence.
ReplyDeleteThe city government of Freeport frequently fails to enforce our Codified Ordinances. In order to do their jobs properly the City Manager, the Mayor, the City Council, plus department heads and other administrators must be required to read, understand, and uphold Freeport's ordanances/laws. The safety and security of our community is currently at risk.
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