We're in the minority
Rockford was the last and largest city to abolish Home Rule in 1983. Currently, 167 other Illinois communities enjoy Home Rule power. Loves Park, Machnesney Park and Belvidere will soon get it when their populations break the 25,000 barrier. Rockton may soon elect to become Home Rule.
Interestingly, Aurora, a Home Rule community, recently overtook Rockford as Illinois' second largest city. Aurora has grown 16.5% since 2000 compared to our 1.6%.
Home Rule opponents argue that is because of Aurora's proximity to Chicago, not the fact the fact that they have Home Rule. Yet it's curious that Machesney Park, Loves Park and Belvidere have all experienced growth since 2000. Could that be linked to Rockford's high property tax rates, high crime and poor school performance? Again, all these ills could be addressed with Home Rule power - which would go a long way toward solving Rockford's economic development difficulties.
Illinoisans are happy with Home Rule
In an Illinois Municipal League/Illinois City County Management Association survey of 2001-2002, of the 83 Home Rule communities that responded, 91% said that there had neither been a petition to abandon home rule, nor had there been any periodic, significant criticism of Home Rule in their community.
Over 70% of Illinoisans live in our 160+ Home Rule communities. And the number continues to grow.
Home Rule isn't about the power to tax or take away individual freedom. It's about the flexibility and delegation of power that our local government officials need to do the job we have elected them to do: fight crime, improve education, attract new jobs, businesses and residents to Rockford, and improve our quality of life.
Here are some of the ways that other communities use Home Rule to better their quality of life.
- Enhanced economic development
- Enhanced regulation
- More equitable taxation
- Lower crime
- Enhance education via lower truancy
Read more about how they use their powers in the "What can Home Rule do for us in Rockford" section.