Five Illinois municipalities which sought Home Rule status through a ballot initiative on Tuesday saw the measures lose by huge margins.

Illinois REALTORS® and its consumer advocacy partner Real Property Alliance both worked in the municipalities to defeat the measures.

Communities under 25,000 in population can ask voters for the power to let elected officials set tax rates and implement some fees. By becoming a Home Rule community, municipalities can also incur more debt and as a result force property tax increases.

Illinois REALTORS® has worked against Home Rule measures for years, arguing that voters should have a direct say on any local tax increase.

The communities that failed to pass the Home Rule initiatives were: Coal City, Ottawa, Warrensburg, Creve Coeur and Lynwood.

As of Wednesday, the unofficial vote totals showed overwhelming opposition to Home Rule.

  • Creve Coeur: 453 against, 62 for, a more than seven-to-one vote against the measure.
  • Lynwood: 685 against, 222 for. This was the third time Lynwood had placed a Home Rule measure on the ballot.
  • Ottawa: Voters rejected the measure 2,196 to 613.
  • Coal City: 747 against, 175 for Home Rule.
  • Warrensburg: 270 against, 30 for, a nine-to-one margin.