Illinois primary election 2024: A full list of referendums in the Chicago area

While voters will have plenty of decisions to make in the 2024 primary election, thousands will be tasked with answering ballot questions in the race.

Whether you live in Chicago or the suburbs, there are plenty of communities wrestling with thorny questions, and we have a preview of what you can expect when you see the end of your ballot this March.

Chicago:

Citywide –

The city of Chicago will ask voters if they approve of changes to the city’s transfer taxes on real estate, lowering those taxes for properties valued at $1 million or less and raising it on properties valued at more than $1 million.

The current system consists of a flat tax across all property values.

A full rundown of the referendum can be found on the NBC Chicago app.

7^th ward, 6^th, 8^th precincts –

Voters will be asked if Ald. Greg Mitchell and Mayor Brandon Johnson should support a Community Benefits Agreement to prevent the displacement of renters and homeowners in South Shore amid construction of the Obama Center. Those steps would include funding home repair, increasing home ownership and property tax relief, eviction protection, rental relief, development of income-based social housing on city-owned lots, and local hiring programs.

13^th Ward –

Should residents be afforded a new police district to help reduce response time and create smaller areas for patrol officers?

23^rd Ward –

Should residents be afforded a new police district to help reduce response time and create smaller areas for patrol officers?

25^th Ward, 9^th Precinct –

In Pilsen, should government provide assistance if property tax bills saw increases of more than 40%, with TIF funds helping pay those costs?

36^th Ward, Precincts 14-through-27 –

Should the city of Chicago reopen the 13^th police district?

49^th Ward, 4^th, 15^th and 16^th Precincts –

Should the city of Chicago support the formation of a Chicago Lakefront National Park, consisting of all park and public land adjacent to Lake Michigan?

More information can be found on the Chicago Board of Elections website.

Suburban Cook County:

Avoca –

Residents are being asked to approve a bond issue of $89.8 million to build a new school building to replace Avoca West, and to renovate Marie Murphy School.

Berwyn –

Should candidates for mayor, clerk, treasurer and alderman be elected in non-partisan primary and consolidated elections?

Deer Park –

Residents will be asked to allow the village to continue levying a 0.5% sales tax for the next four years, to be used on municipal operations.

Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District –

Residents will be asked whether that district should be dissolved and discontinued.

Hanover Park –

Residents will be asked to approve the issuance of $8 million in bonds for replacing the roofs of two community center buildings.

Hazel Crest –

Residents are being asked to repeal a term limit ordinance, and to institute a new one that holds no president, clerk or trustee can hold more than five consecutive terms in office.

Residents will also be asked if they should continue efforts to develop an art district near their Metra station.

Residents will be asked if the village should eliminate its vehicle sticker tax.

Kenilworth –

Residents will be asked if the village should improve Kenilworth Beach and the rest of the lakefront area by renovating and repurposing a water plant for community purposes. The village would issue general obligation bonds in the amount of $2.5 million for the purpose of the project, with bond interest note exceeding 6% per annum.

Lemont –

Residents will be asked to approve the issuance of $17 million in bonds to equip and maintain the Centennial Community Center, including reconfiguring fitness spaces, Derby Front Park, and constructing and renovating tennis and pickleball courts.

Northlake –

Residents will be asked to increase their limiting rate to provide additional funding to the library district.

Palos Community Consolidated School District –

Officials will ask to lift its limiting rate to raise additional funds for a variety of school-related projects.

Prospect Heights –

Residents will be asked to increase their limiting rate to help finance new security equipment at multiple elementary and middle schools, and to renovate Eisenhower Elementary School to accommodate all-day kindergarten.

Richton Park –

Residents are being asked to dedicate funds from sales taxes for investments in public infrastructure, including roads, alleys, paths and sidewalks.

Residents will also be asked if they should become a home-rule government.

Another question will ask if the government should put together “actions to promote governmental cooperation in order to enhance public safety, economic development and beautification efforts” in the village.

Robbins –

Residents will be asked to increase the limiting rate on property taxes to help provide additional funding for the park district.

Roselle –

Residents will be asked if Roselle should become a home-rule government.

Thornton Township –

Residents will be asked if they should open a second food pantry to assist residents. A tax of up to 0.15% to construct mental health facilities and provide services will also be on the ballot.

Residents will also be asked if there should be a $2 fee assessed for access to the township’s soup and salad bar.

Union Ridge –

Residents will be asked to approve a bond issue of $35 million to alter, repair and equip its school building.

Full ballot language on all referenda can be found on the Cook County Board of Elections’ website.

DeKalb County:

Central Community Unit School District No. 301

Shall this district, which comprises an area including parts of Kane and DeKalb counties, build and equip a new high school building, including career education labs, fine arts spaces, special education classrooms, a field house and athletic fields, and issue bonds in the amount of $195 million?

You can find more information on the DeKalb County Clerk’s website.

DuPage County:

Addison Township –

Should Addison Township exercise its lawful powers to enter into a contract for garbage collection, disposal, composting and recycling for residents of the unincorporated areas of the township?

Bensenville Fire Protection –

Shall trustees of the Bensenville Fire Protection District be elected, rather than appointed?

Bloomingdale Township –

Should Bloomingdale Township exercise its lawful powers to enter into a contract for garbage collection, disposal, composting and recycling for residents of the unincorporated areas of the township?

Bolingbrook –

Should the village clerk be appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the board of trustees, rather than be elected?

Butterfield Park District –

Should the park district annex specific territories in Glen Ellyn for park purposes?

Clarendon Hills Park District –

Should the park district renovate the Lions Park Pool facility and install new slides, a spray park and new mechanical systems, undertake athletic field improvements at Prospect Park, and renovate playgrounds and facilities under the Americans With Disabilities Act at a cost of $8 million?

Fenton Community High School District 100 –

Shall the board of education improve the site and renovate the Fenton High School building, including with new safety and emergency response systems, ventilation, plumbing and electrical infrastructure and other expenditures in the amount of $65 million?

Glenbard Township High School District 87 –

Shal the board of education issue $183 million in new bonds for safety and security improvements, ADA-compliance measures, repairs and replacements of mechanical systems, roofs and other infrastructure, renovate classrooms and learning spaces, and undertake other improvements for each of the district’s four high schools?

Hanover Park Park District –

Hanover Park residents will be asked to approve the issuance of $8 million in bonds for replacing the roofs of two community center buildings.

Lemont –

Lemont residents will be asked to approve the issuance of $17 million in bonds to equip and maintain the Centennial Community Center, including reconfiguring fitness spaces, Derby Front Park, and constructing and renovating tennis and pickleball courts.

Milton Township –

Should Milton Township exercise its lawful powers to enter into a contract for garbage collection, disposal, composting and recycling for residents of the unincorporated areas of the township?

Roselle –

Shall Roselle become a home-rule unit?

Roselle Park District –

Shall Roselle’s Park District improve, equip and maintain the Kemmerling Park and Pool, including adding a splash pad, recreation facility and other parks, while making other improvements in tree reforestation and wetland restoration, at the cost of $7 million?

Wayne Township –

Should Wayne Township exercise its lawful powers to enter into a contract for the collection, disposal, composting and recycling of garbage for residents of the unincorporated areas of the township?

Should Wayne Township levy an annual tax of not more than .15% on all taxable property for the purpose of providing community mental health facilities and services?

Winfield –

Should Winfield encourage the placement of electric vehicle charging stations in commercial areas?

Should Winfield consider adopting environmental policy to help limit climate change even if such policies are more expensive to the village’s residents?

Should Winfield consider allowing additional dwelling units, or “coach houses,” on single-family property where lot size allows?

Winfield Township –

Should Winfield Township exercise its lawful powers to enter into a contract for garbage collection, disposal, composting and recycling for residents of the unincorporated areas of the township?

York Township –

Should York Township exercise its lawful powers to enter into a contract for garbage collection, disposal, composting and recycling for residents of the unincorporated areas of the township?

You can find full wording and more information on the DuPage County Clerk’s website.

Grundy County:

There are no referenda on the primary election ballot, officials said.

Kane County:

Aurora Township –

Shall the property tax limiting rate be raised by an amount equal to 0.29% for fire protection and ambulance tax purposes?

Central Community Unit School District No. 301 –

Shall this district, which comprises an area including parts of Kane and DeKalb counties, build and equip a new high school building, including career education labs, fine arts spaces, special education classrooms, a field house and athletic fields, and issue bonds in the amount of $195 million?

North Aurora –

Should North Aurora increase its non-home rule sales tax from 0.5% to a rate of 1% to help finance public improvements and infrastructure, as well as for municipal operations and/or property tax relief?

Pingree Grove –

Shall Pingree Grove levy a non-home rule sales tax of 1% to generate revenue for expenditures on municipal operations, expenditures on public infrastructure, or property tax relief?

You can find a full readout of ballot language on the Kane County Clerk’s website.

Kankakee County:

Grant Park –

Shall the village levy a non-home rule sales tax at a rate of 1% for expenditures on municipal operations, expenditures on public infrastructure and property tax relief?

St. Anne –

Shall an optional elementary school district unit be created in the territory comprising St. Anne Community Consolidated School District No. 256 and St. Anne Community High School District No. 302, with authority to levy taxes on taxable property?

More information, including tax levies, can be found on the Kankakee County Clerk’s website.

Lake County:

Deer Park –

Should a non-home rule sales tax be continued, assessed at a rate of 0.5% on eligible sales to help fund municipal operations?

Grayslake –

Shall the property tax limiting rate be raised by just under 0.76% above the limiting rate for levy year 2022 for the purpose of adding security improvements, replacing roofing, heating, plumbing and air conditioning systems, and undertaking additional capital programs in the district? Officials estimate the increased property tax would equate to $252.54 on a property valued at $100,000.

Round Lake –

Shall bonds be issued in the amount of $36.4 million be issued for the purpose of building a new public library, purchasing and improving a site, and furnishing necessary equipment, materials and data storage?

Wadsworth –

Shall the Village Clerk in Wadsworth transition to an elected rather than appointed position?

You can find exact ballot language and more information on the Lake County Clerk’s website.

Kendall County:

There are no referendums on the primary election ballot, officials said.

LaSalle County:

There are no referendums on the primary election ballot, officials said.

McHenry County:

Countywide –

Residents will be asked to impose a 0.25% sales tax on purchases, and to discontinue a property tax levy that helps fund mental health services and the Mental Health Boards in the county.

According to officials, it would remove nearly $11 million in collected property taxes.

Cary –

Residents in Cary will be asked if the village should become a “home-rule unit.”

Harvard –

Residents will be asked to lift the property tax limiting rate to help fund fire and ambulance services to just under 0.5% of the equalized assessed value of taxable property.

Marengo –

Marengo residents will be asked to authorizer a municipal sales tax of 1% to help fund public infrastructure costs.

Separate referenda will ask residents if the park district should be permitted to annex territory within Coral Township, Marengo Township and Riley Township.

Full language on voter questions can be found on the McHenry County Clerk’s website.

Will County:

Bolingbrook –

Should the village clerk be appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the board of trustees, rather than be elected?

Custer Fire Protection District –

A petition will be made on whether to dissolve the Custer Fire Protection District.

Homer Glen –

An advisory question asking whether officials should dissolve or discontinue township government.

Lemont –

Lemont residents will be asked to approve the issuance of $17 million in bonds to equip and maintain the Centennial Community Center, including reconfiguring fitness spaces, Derby Front Park, and constructing and renovating tennis and pickleball courts.

Lockport Township High School 205 –

A referendum will ask the public to approve the issuing of $85 million in school building bonds.

Peotone Park District –

A proposition will be on the ballot to increase the district’s limiting rate on property tax assessments.

Wilton Township –

A proposition will appear asking for permission to create a new tax rate for “joint bridge tax purposes.”

More information can be found on the Will County Clerk’s website.