For your convenience, we've located all the relevant reading to make yourself an informed advocate for Home Rule in Rockford.
We've even broken it out into three sections so you can find the content relevant to your needs, whether its a questions about the law, how Home Rule is used in Illinois communities, or about Home Rule and taxation, you'll find what you need here.
Just click the links below to get to the section you're interested in. You can also download the article by clicking the link furthest right on the row.
| The law | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Author | Content | Size, Format |
| 1970 Illinois Constitution | The framers of the 1970 Illinois Constitution thought Home Rule was so important, they gave Home Rule its own section. In fact, they spent much of the section talking about what Home Rule communities could not do. See Section 6. | Download this article (30kb) | |
| Clarifying the Influence of Dillon’s Rule on Growth Management | Robert Puentes, Senior Research Manager. Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, The Brooking Institution. VA Chapter, American Planning Assn Annual Mtg, 25 April 2003 | Authors define and discuss Dillon’s Rule and Home Rule and its impact on urban planning. They make no judgement on whether Dillon’s Rule or Home Rule is better. | Download this article (1.2Mb) |
| Home Rule and Its Uses in Illinois | |||
| Title | Author | Content | Size, Format |
| Home Rule in Illinois: a Resource Guide for the City of Geneva | Administrative Services Department, City of Geneva, 03 June 2005 | The goal of this booklet is to provide an overview of Illinois Home Rule information for the Geneva City Council. This booklet will help answer and address some common questions and concerns that Elected Officials, City staff, and citizens often have about home rule. | Download this article (1.7Mb) |
| Illinois Home Rule: a Thirty Year Assessment | Policy Profiles, Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University, February 2001. | A wealth of quickly assimilated information about Home Rule: who uses it, how voters feel about it, what they have done about it, who has it, what the issues are surrounding home rule, how it has been used, all over the 30 years (as of that writing) that Illinois communities have had home rule. | Download this article (53kb) |
| Illinois Home Rule: Its Use and Experience | James M. Banovetz, PhD, 14 June 2005 | This is a presentation for the city of Geneva, just down I-90 from us on Randall Road, in which Professor Banovetz outlines the evidence for and against Home Rule. | Download this article (4.6Mb) |
| Possible Uses of Home Rule in Specific Areas | City of Geneva, 23 August 2005 | This is a document from the City of Geneva, which outlines how they would use Home Rule if they were to gain the power: General administration, governmental organization, opposing state mandates, community development, financial tools, taxing authority, police and fire. | Download this article ( 132kb) |
| Home Rule & Development | James M. Banovetz, City/County Management 83:10, June 2003 | Home Rule is used to promote a wide variety of development objectives, including the use of impact fees, economic development districts in Skokie, Joliet, Wilmette, Elk Grove Village, Rock Island, Lincolnshire, Schiller Park, and Addison. | Download this article (34kb) |
| Taxation | |||
| Title | Author | Content | Size, Format |
| Do Home Rule Communities Levy More Property Taxes? | James Banovetz & Thomas W. Kelty, Illinois Municipal Review, April 2003 | The authors of the study examine the 32-year record of home rule in Illinois, and say there is no truth to the assertion that property taxes have increased more in home rule cities and villages. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Rockford’s case is cited as the sole case where property taxes in 1983 did initially go down after repealing Home Rule, but voters chose to raise them back up in five out of seven referenda to restore city services. | Download this article (139kb) |
| Uses of Home Rule with Special Emphasis on Taxation | James M. Banovetz & Thomas W. Kelty, Policy Profiles, August 2002, 2:3. Center for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University | A just completed survey, sponsored jointly by the Illinois Municipal League and the Illinois City/County Management Association, offers new insight into the way home rule governments use their home rule powers. All Illinois’ home rule communities were asked how they were using their home rule powers. | Download this article (71kb) |
| IIlinois Home Rule: A Case Study in Fiscal Responsibility | James M. Banovetz, Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy (2002), 32:1 | The author examines the popular notion that elected officials cannot be trusted with broad powers of taxation, that they are likely to use and perhaps abuse all of the powers of taxation they possess. The study looks at the use of tax powers, over a 30 year period, by Illinois’ home rule municipalities. Indeed, the Illinois experience suggests that, with adequate safeguards, local officials can be trusted with broad based local tax powers. | Download this article (101kb) |
| Local Government Revenue Structure: Does Home Rule Matter? | Tom Rooney, Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy (2002), 32:1 | This paper focuses on the question of whether home rule authority as granted under the Illinois Constitution results in changes in municipal tax structure and tax effort. Analysis reveals that home rule is not a significant factor in the level of taxation. Home rule authority appears to be more valuable for regulatory purposes than for its taxation powers. | Download this article (66k) |