A new Barrington High School auditorium would be funded by a portion of the $64 million tax hike Barrington Area Unit District 220 is requesting from voters.
Courtesy of District 220
In addition to three statewide referendums on every Illinois ballot, voters in parts of the Northwest suburbs have decisions to make on local issues ranging from full-day kindergarten to pension reform to the sale of public land.
Here’s a look at some of the questions on the ballot:
Barrington District 220
Barrington Area Unit District 220 is seeking a $64 million tax hike that would help build a new high school auditorium, fund security improvements across the district and enhance the science, math and arts curriculum.
If voters approve the plan, the owners of a $500,000 home would see an increase of about $235 a year on the district’s portion of property tax bills, officials said.
More information is available at barrington220.org/referendum-2024.
Mount Prospect District 57
Mount Prospect School District 57 is asking voters for $85 million to help fund all-day kindergarten, the construction of a new Lincoln Middle School and improvements throughout the district. Officials plan to use an additional $12 million in existing funds to pay for the work.
The potential cost to each taxpayer can be calculated by visiting the district’s website. District officials say it could amount to an additional $714 per year on a home worth $375,000.
Glenview District 34
Glenview School District 34 is seeking voter permission for an operational tax increase that would raise available funds annually from $75.7 million to $80.7 million.
District officials said budgetary efficiencies and reductions were able to push a projected budget deficit from 2026 to 2027. The additional operational funding is being sought to stay ahead of that.
If voters approve the measure, the additional tax property tax would amount to about $49 for every $100,000 of a property’s fair market value.
Mount Prospect Park District
The Mount Prospect Park District is asking voters for $46.2 million to fund facility improvements that include a new community pool complex at Lions Memorial Park.
The estimated annual tax impact of the proposal is $49 per $100,000 of a home’s fair market value, or about $195 for a $400,000 home.
The Mount Prospect Park District is asking voters to approve a $46.2 million referendum that would fund projects including the construction of a new aquatic facility.
Courtesy of the Mount Prospect Park District
Among the improvements would be the replacement of the Big Surf Pool, with the addition of zero-depth entry, aquatic spray features, water slides and lap lanes. Also proposed is a new Lions Recreation Center featuring a walking track, basketball courts and spaces for preschool/early childhood, senior/active adult and other programs.
In addition, there would be new air conditioning and a multisport artificial turf at the RecPlex and site improvements at Lions Memorial Park, including pickleball courts and an outdoor game area.
Streamwood Park District
The Streamwood Park District is asking voters for permission to sell a vacant 10.46-acre site at 680 Sutton Road in Streamwood that was purchased in 2016 for future development. But the district’s 2022 strategic plan determined that funds would be better spent maintaining existing parks and facilities.
Park districts are required by law to secure voter approval to sell more than 3 acres. The park district currently owns, leases, and maintains 303.6 acres of land, which includes 52 parks and 38 playgrounds.
Elmhurst Park District
The Elmhurst Park District is seeking voter approval to issue $89.95 million in bonds.
A new Wagner Community Center is among the projects that would be funded if Elmhurst Park District voters approve a nearly $90 million referendum.
Courtesy of Dewberry
The park district would replace the Wagner Community Center with a new 127,500-square-foot facility, build a band shell in Wilder Park, convert a grass field to artificial turf at Berens Park, and install heated, permanent restrooms in Wilder Park, Crestview Park, Eldridge Park and along the Prairie Path.
If approved, the owner of a home valued at $500,000 — the median in Elmhurst — would pay roughly $317 in additional property taxes to the park district per year for 25 years.
Roselle Library District
The Roselle Public Library District is asking voters to approve a $22 million borrowing plan for a new building. The measure comes more than a year after a previous request was narrowly denied at the ballot box.
This time, the district is seeking to build a new library campus on the site of the former Trinity Community Center — a property currently owned by the village. The library and the village would swap their respective parcels if voters approve the project.
Leaders went back to the drawing board and held focus groups after residents in April 2023 rejected by 22 votes a plan to replace their existing facility with a two-story, glass-wrapped building on the same Park Street site.
Under the new proposal, an owner of a home valued at $300,000 would pay an anticipated $179 in additional property taxes to the library district annually.
Barrington Township
Barrington Township has placed a nonbinding referendum on the ballot that supporters consider a first step toward officials establishing a path to public pension reform in the state.
The question asks, “Do you support constitutional pension reform to protect workers’ existing retirements and generate savings which could provide property tax relief or be reinvested in the community?”