Village of
Westchester MARCH
PARK DISTRICT
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POLICE DEPARTMENT
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FIRE DEPARTMENT
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CALENDAR
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SCHOOL DISTRICT
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2020
March 17, 2020 Election On the March 17, 2020 Election ballot, the residents of the Village of Westchester will have the opportunity to answer two Referendum Questions. Residents will have the opportunity to answer an advisory referendum regarding the prohibition of adult-use cannabis dispensing organizations being located within the Village of Westchester and will have the ability to also answer a question on home rule through a binding referendum. Referendum Question 1: Shall the Village of Westchester prohibit the location of adult-use cannabis dispensing organizations within the Village of Westchester? Referendum Question 2: Shall the Village of Westchester become a home rule unit?
SCOUTS
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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Adult-Use Cannabis On December 17, 2019, the Village Board voted to approve the ability for an adult-use cannabis dispensing organization to locate within the Village of Westchester. In order to ensure that the Village Board voted in support of the majority of Westchester residents, the Board would like to give the residents the option to cast their vote either in support of or against the prohibition of adult-use cannabis dispensing organizations being located within the Village of Westchester. If you are in favor of allowing an adult-use cannabis dispensary to locate within the Village of Westchester, then you should vote NO to the question on the ballot. If you wish to prohibit the ability of an adult-use cannabis dispensary to locate within the Village of Westchester, you should vote YES.
see election page 21
P ar k D i st r ic t 2
MARCH 2020
P olice D e partment MARCH 2020
A Message from Chief Daniel Babich My name is Chief Daniel Babich and I am honored to serve as your new Chief of Police for the Westchester Police Department, all the Village Officials of Westchester, and our residents. I have served in law enforcement for over 35 years being the former Chief of Police for Lyons, and the former Chief of Police for Stickney. I have served in the United States Marine Corp as a Marine Sniper, and worked in a state prison in a control room handling 448 inmates at any one time. Throughout my years of being a chief of police I have completed four of the top Chief of Police Executives Schools, one being the FBI Executive National Academy. I am an individual who is proactive in trying to find better ways to handle situations before they become a major problem. I am not a person who is merely reactive, waiting for things to happen first and then find a solution. My main goals and objectives are to find ways to protect our resident’s safety, our businesses, and our quality of life. Everyone in Westchester is a stake holder and your input is important to me to keep our neighborhood safe, I can’t fix it if no one tells me what’s broken, but the police department and my staff will always give 110 % to fix the problem to the best of our ability.
I look forward to working for the Village of Westchester, and I am a strong believer that you always leave the place better then you received it. If I can ever be of service please feel free to reach out by phone or email. God Bless Sincerely, Chief Daniel Babich
POLICE BLOTTER 1) At 8:28am on January 17, 2020 a Burglary to Motor Vehicle was reported on the 1900 block of Belleview. The resident reported that an IPad and other various items were taken from their vehicle. 2) At 1:36pm on January 18, 2020 a Retail Theft was reported at Walgreens located at 10356 Roosevelt. The store reported that 2 females left the store after removing various cosmetics. 3) At 11:22am on January 21, 2020 a Burglary to Motor Vehicle was reported on the 2800 block of Downing. Various items were taken from the vehicle which was possibly unlocked. 4) At 11:56am on February 1, 2020 a Criminal Damage to Vehicle was reported at the Four Points Sheraton located at 2222 Enterprise Drive. The rear drivers side windows was damaged by an unknown object or person.
5) At 8:56am on February 3, 2020 a Criminal Damage to Vehicle was reported on the 700 block of Balmoral. The resident reported that unknown person(s) damaged the rear window of their vehicle but did not appear to enter the vehicle. A pipe was found next to the damage. 6) At 10:09am on February 3, 2020 an Armed Robbery was reported at the Dunkin Donuts located at 1005 Mannheim Road. A store employee called and reported that a male subject struck the manager demanding a bank bag that he was holding. The suspect fled the scene on foot taking $1400. 7) At 3:57pm on February 14, 2020 a Theft of License Plate was reported on the 10100 block of Pelham. The resident reported that unknown person(s) took their license plate from their car and was notified by the Naperville police department that the license plate was used to commit a crime in their city.
Vehicle stickers will be on sale March 1, 2020 We will be selling 2020 VEHICLE STICKERS starting March 1, 2020 – April 30, 2020 Residences should receive Vehicle renewals thru the mail, please review the applications and if there are any errors please revise. If you should not receive an application please make sure that you NOTE when they are available, please come to the Village Hall at 10300 W. Roosevelt Road 8:30am-5:00pm. We require the Registration for all cars that you will be purchasing Vehicle Stickers, the registration must reflect Westchester address if they do not we cannot issue the sticker. If stickers are purchased after the April 30, 2020 date all fees will be doubled.
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F ir e D e pa rt me n t 4
MARCH 2020
L ibrary MARCH 2020
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L ib r ary 6
MARCH 2020
MARCH 2020
CALENDAR DIVINE PROVIDENCE DIVINE INFANT SENIOR CLUB
9:30am, Bible study for all ages.
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am
10- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Confessions (DP)
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday – March 4, 2020
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
7:00p SVP Mtg (DP) - Ministry Center
Doors open at 11:30 AM - Lunch at 12:00 PM This will be our St. Pat/ST. Joseph box lunch – Tickets Required We will have a guest speaker – JOHN MAHER Operations Director of Parish Membership is open Til March 1ST -- $ 15.00 Per person Join us for an afternoon of friendship and information
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
20- No School DP, 8:00 Mass (DI), 5:00p Soup Supper - DI Langan Hall
11- 8:00 Mass (DP), 4:15p RE Classes DP, 4:30p Tai Chi Chuan – DP
7:00p Stations of the Cross DI
6:30p Lenten Prayer Journey at DI - Rectory Annex DI
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
AWANA Register online at westchesterbiblechurch.org Grades K-6, 6:30pm – 8:00pm,
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Westchester Bible Church “Fusion” Youth Ministry, Grades 7-12 @ 6:30pm – 8:15pm
3- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Confessions (DP)
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
12- 8:00 Mass (DI), 9:00 Quilters DP, 7:00p SVP DI
GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Saturday March 14, 2020 Spaghetti Dinner
4:30p Tai Chi Chuan - DP Church
Grace Lutheran Church
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
1101 Manchester Avenue Westchester, IL 60154
Westchester Bible Church
$ 8.00 per person – Children 7 yrs and under are FREE
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
2- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Lenten Prayer Journey at DP, 6:30p NO RE Classes DI
4- 8:00 Mass (DP), 11:30 DI/DP Over 50 Club – DP, 4:15p RE Classes DP
708-345-1375 – 4:00pm – 7pm
“Fusion” Youth Ministry, Grades 7-12 @ 6:30pm – 8:15pm Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish 13- 8:00 Mass (DI), 7:00p Sacrament of Confirmation DI, 7:00p Stations of the Cross DP
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Every Friday during the school year. Westchester Bible Church, Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040 21- Lenten Food Drive DP, 8:00 Mass (DI), 8:30 Confessions (DI), 4:00p Mass (DP), 5:00p Mass (DI), St. Joseph Table 5pm-8pm DP Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish AWANA Register online at westchesterbiblechurch.org Grades K-6, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, Every Friday during the school year.
Fusion Pancake Breakfast - Saturday 03/21 Come join us for a wonderful Pancake Breakfast from 9am to 11am Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children 3-11 and children under 3 eat free! Come out and support our teens as they serve you breakfast! Tickets available at the door.
Live music – No reservations required
5- 8:00 Mass (DI), 3:00p School History Fair DP – Gym
All are WELCOME!!
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Westchester Bible Church, Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
10700 Canterbury Street – Westchester, IL 60154 (708)562-3573
6- 8:00 Mass (DI), 9:00 Eucharistic Adoration DP, 7:00p Stations of the Cross DI
14- 8:00 Mass (DI), 8:30 Confessions (DI), 4:00p Mass (DP), 5:00p Mass (DI)
Monday, March 2
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Monday, March 9
AWANA Register online at westchesterbiblechurch.org Grades K-6, 6:30pm – 8:00pm,
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Every Friday during the school year.
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Westchester Bible Church, Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Westchester Bible Church Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @ 9:30am, Bible study for all ages.
Worship service at 9 a.m. and Bible class on Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.
7- 8:00 Mass (DI), 8:30 Confessions (DI), 4:00p Mass (DP), 5:00p Mass (DI)
Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Faith Lutheran Church, 1124 Westchester Blvd.
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Worship service at 9 a.m. and Bible class on Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.
Westchester Bible Church
Faith Lutheran Church, 1124 Westchester Blvd.
Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @ 9:30am, Bible study for all ages.
LIBRARY EVENTS
Monday, March 16 Monday, March 23 & Monday, March 30: Learn to Sew 7:00 PM at Library. Grades 4 and up. Registration required. Contact Youth Dept. at (708) 562-3573. Wednesday, March 3 Wednesday, March 17: Art Specials 4:00 PM at Library. Registration required. Contact Teen Dept at (708) 562-3573.
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8:30 Mass (DP), 10:00 Mass (DI)
11:00 Confirmation Rehearsal - DI Church Saturday, March 7: Live Irish Music with Gavin Coyle 2:00 PM at Library. Registration requested. Contact Adult Dept at (708) 5623573. Saturday, March 14: Live Irish Dancing with the Trinity Irish Dancers 10:00 AM at Library. Registration requested. Contact Youth Dept at (708) 562-3573. Saturday, March 28: Money Smart for Kids 2:00 PM at Library. Registration requested. Contact Youth Dept at (708) 562-3573. 1-8:30 Mass (DP), 10:00 Mass (DI) Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish Worship service at 9 a.m. and Bible class on Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. Faith Lutheran Church, 1124 Westchester Blvd. Westchester Bible Church Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @
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8:30 Mass (DP), 10:00 Mass (DI)
Faith Lutheran Church, 1124 Westchester Blvd. Westchester Bible Church Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @ 9:30am, Bible study for all ages.
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
6:30p Lenten Prayer Journey at DI
23- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Lenten Prayer Journey at DP, 6:30p NO RE Classes DI
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
6:30p Lenten Prayer Journey at DI 17- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Confessions (DP), 7:00p FSA Meeting DP
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
24- 8:00 Mass DP, 8:30 Confessions (DP), 7:00p Parish Reconciliation DI
18- 8:00 Mass (DP), 4:15p RE Classes DP, 4:30p Tai Chi Chuan - DP
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish Westchester Bible Church
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
“Fusion” Youth Ministry, Grades 7-12 @ 6:30pm – 8:15pm
6:30p RE Classes DI, 6:30p Lenten Prayer Journey at DI
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
16- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Lenten Prayer Journey at DP, 6:30p RE Classes DI,
Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am 9- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 St. Peregrine Devotion, 8:30am Lenten Prayer Journey at DP
22- Lenten Food Drive DP, 8:30 Mass (DP), 10:00 Mass (DI)
Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish Worship service at 9 a.m. At 10:05 am Join us for prayers to heal our broken hearts, bodies and mind. Though we suffer, we cannot be crushed because Jesus loves us and stands by us. If you need prayers, please come. (A time to heal and reflect) and Bible Study on Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.
Westchester Bible Church, Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
25- 8:00 Mass (DP), 1:00p Annunciation Holy Hour – DP Chapel, 4:15p NO RE Classes DP, 4:30p Tai Chi Chuan - DP Church Narthex Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
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8:00 Mass (DI)
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MARCH 2020
PUBLIC WORKS Village branch pickup will resume the week of Monday, April 6-10, 2020 Yard waste pickup by Waste Management will begin Thursday, April 2, 2020. Free yard waste stickers for reusable yard waste receptacles are available at the Public Works office and the Village Hall. Parkway Restoration: The Public Works Department will begin repairing parkways damaged by sewer and water excavations and snow plow damage, weather permitting. Pothole Repair The Public Works Department continues to fill potholes throughout the Village, weather permitting. Please call Public Works at 708-345-
CALENDAR
Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am
“Fusion” Youth Ministry, Grades 7-12 @ 6:30pm – 8:15pm
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Ash Wednesday Potluck Supper at 5 pm and service with communion at 7 pm Faith Lutheran Church, 1124 Westchester Blvd.
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 The St. Joseph Sodality Society Will be hosting their annual ST. JOSEPH TABLE At Mary, Mother of Divine Grace In the DP School Gym Saturday, March 21st
Serving from 58:00pm-8:oopm Free Will Donations Welcome For additional information, Please contact Regina@ 708-692-3344
26- 8:00 Mass (DI), 9:00 Quilters DP, 9am Early Childhood Open House DP School Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish 27- 8:00 Mass (DI), 5:00p Soup Supper DP, 7:00p Stations of the Cross DP Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Are You?... “Westchester Informed” A Podcast bringing thoughtful discussion to so many topics that affect our Village! Search for it on Facebook or Youtube under Westchester Informed Email any questions or comments as well: westchesterilinformed@gmail.com
30- 8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Lenten Prayer Journey at DP, 6:30p RE Classes DI, 6:30p Lenten Prayer Journey at DI Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish 31- (DP)
8:00 Mass (DP), 8:30 Confessions
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish April 1 -Westchester Bible Church “Fusion” Youth Ministry, Grades 7-12 @ 6:30pm – 8:15pm Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040 3 - AWANA Register online at westchesterbiblechurch.org Grades K-6, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, Every Friday during the school year.
28- 8:00 Mass (DI), 8:30 Confessions (DI), 10:00 Women’s Guild Mass/Fashion Show 4:00p Mass (DP), 5:00p Mass (DI) Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
Podcast Coming
50/50 Shared Cost Sidewalk Replacement Program The Village offers a shared cost sidewalk replacement program. If the sidewalk in front of your residence is in poor condition and you would like to replace it, the Village will share the cost with you. Please call Public Works at 708345-0041 for more information or to register.
Westchester Bible Church
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
St. Joseph Table
0041 to report potholes. Possible Water Main Breaks/Leaks Village residents are asked to call Public Works at 708-345-0041 or the Police Non Emergency number after hours at 708-345-0060 if an unusual amount of water is visible in the street or parkway. This could be a main break or water leak that requires our immediate attention.
Westchester Bible Church, Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
5- Westchester Bible Church
Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @ 9:30am, Bible study for all ages. Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am
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8:30 Mass (DP), 10:00 Mass (DI)
Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
Mary, Mother of Divine Grace Parish
10- AWANA Register online at westchesterbiblechurch.org Grades K-6, 6:30pm – 8:00pm,
Worship service at 9 a.m. and Bible class on Liturgy at 10:30 a.m.
Every Friday during the school year.
Faith Lutheran Church, 1124 Westchester Blvd. Westchester Bible Church Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @ 9:30am, Bible study for all ages.
Westchester Bible Church, Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040 12 - Westchester Bible Church Adult Bible Fellowships & Sunday School @ 9:30am, Bible study for all ages. Morning Worship Service @ 10:45am Cermak & Sunnyside, 708-562-3040
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Beginning of 2020 has been busy for WPTC The beginning of 2020 has been busy with many fun activities sponsored by the WPTC. In addition, we are working on all of the activities for the remaining of the school year as well! Thank you to those that were able to attend our first meeting of 2020. Our next scheduled meeting will be in May. Stay tuned for details about that meeting, as we will start preparing for the 2020/2021 school year. January, all the kids had a popcorn day. Thank you to all of our volunteers that help popping all day! February was quite a busy month. We had a great turn out for our Family Game night at WPS. All the families had an opportunity to spend some quality time together playing various different games set up in the gym. Thanks to all of those that participated in our second Flying High Night fundraiser. The kids had a great time! We also had our last classroom parties at WPS and WIS for Valentine’s Day. The kids had a wonderful time playing games and making their crafts. The WPTC would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all of the parents who volunteered as the lead parents and room parents for all of the classes. As well as all of the other volunteers, that helped with all of our parties. These parties would not be able to happen without the volunteers. The middle school also had a Valentine Dance after school. There was good music and lots of dancing! Finally, the WPS students were able to have a fun day at the Seuss Celebration. Students enjoyed games and prizes including 60 Seuss books we were able to send home with students! At WPS, our Spring Book Fair will be March 31st thru April 2nd. During this time, we will have our annual Mom and Muffins morning on Thursday, April 2nd. Our upcoming restaurant fundraisers for March are Chipotle on March 9th and Giordano’s on March 31st. Take a break from cooking and help support the WPTC so that we can continue to provide all of these fun events for the kids. Please continue to check our Website for Updates www.Wptc.membershiptoolkit.com Our Facebook page is also useful to stay up to date with us. You are always welcome to contact any of the WPTC Board members at wptc925@gmail.com with any questions, concerns or feedback that you may have.
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St. Joseph MARCH 2020 11
St. Joseph 12
MARCH 2020
School District MARCH 2020 13
S ch o o l D i st r ic t 14
MARCH 2020
MARCH 2020
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Boy Scouts 16
MARCH 2020
Boy Scouts Troop #73 News Last month Troop #73 celebrated Scout Sunday. Scout Sunday, is a day to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. Scout Sunday also coincides with National Boy Scouts Day, February 8, which is the birthday of the Boy Scout movement in the United States. To celebrate these two events, scouts and
leaders from Troop #73, along with Cub Scouts from Pack #73 and Girl Scouts from Troop #45148 joined the congregation of the Westchester Community Church, for a special service and a coffee/social afterwards. Boy Scouts from Troop #73 also participated in two different merit badge
opportunities. Some of the boys attended the Shedd Aquarium to earn the Oceanography Merit Badge. The boys covered topics ranging from ocean topography, water chemistry and aquatic life all taught by Shedd Educators, which are also BSA Merit Bade Counselors. Others Scouts also attended Merit
Badge University held at York High School and sponsored by the Three Fires Council. Merit Badge University began over 20 years ago and is attended by over 1,500 Scouts from all over the United States, which makes it one of the largest in the Nation offering over 90 different merit badges.
(Above, left) Senior Patrol Leader, Jimmy Milas calls the colors at Scout Sunday. (Above, right) Scouts from Troop #73, Pack #73 and Girl Scouts from Troop 45148 attended Scout Sunday. (left) Troop Scouts attended the Shedd Aquarium to earn the Oceanography Merit Badge.
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Girl Scouts 18
MARCH 2020
Junior Girl Scout Troop 45148 Confidence today. Career tomorrow. Junior Girl Scout Troop 45148 continues their active schedule of community work and skill building. Our recent activities include ice skating, archery and community engagement. The indoor archery course covered safety and technique and gave the girls the opportunity to gain familiarity with both compound and recurve bows. We prepared for our ice skating event by discussing the necessary gear and accessories needed to be safe while having fun. Their badge work has included Gardening, Outdoor Art and Cookie CEO to name a few. The Cookie CEO badge explores how to set goals, track and manage a successful small business. The Outdoor Art badge has increased their awareness of their natural surroundings, paying attention to color, form, lighting and scale. These Juniors are also working on a program to track and build proficiency in a physical activity of their choosing. Their work on the Gardener badge has taught them about the many considerations that go into planning, planting and maintaining a garden. The girls have nearly completed design of a pollinator garden they’ll be planting at Westchester Community Church this spring. We look forward to sharing our skills and beautifying the community. Members of our troop proudly took part in the annual Scout Sunday service at Westchester Community Church. The leadership and congregation of the church has always been supportive of Scout programs in our community. We are thankful for their continued generosity in providing a safe place for us to hold our meetings and access to Fellowship Hall for special events. Our troop was fortunate to spend time at the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola Medical Campus. We baked valentine themed treats for the current residents and learned about services the charity provides. The treats included strawberry cookies, funfetti heart cakes and brownies with sprinkles. COOKIE SALES ARE UNDERWAY! Please be on the lookout for Troop 45148 and all the Westchester Girl Scout troops at their upcoming booth sales. We will have cookies available for purchase through March.
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MARCH 2020 21 election from page 1 Home Rule The Mayor and Village Board have also chosen to give its residents the opportunity to consider becoming a home rule community as an avenue to obtain additional revenue streams in order to maintain current level of police and public works service, along with maintaining the Village’s roads and water system. Currently, the Village is a non-home rule municipality under the Illinois Constitution, meaning that the Village can only authorize those powers which are expressly granted by the State of Illinois. Pursuant to the Illinois Constitution, home rule municipalities may exercise any power and function pertaining to its government and affairs. Home rule status can only be achieved through voter approval or the certification of a population above 25,000 residents. Utilizing home rule authority, the board would have flexibility to consider additional revenue streams, ones that would shift some of the financial burden to non-residents. The additional funding would be allocated towards investment in our roads, alleys, sewer and water systems and other infrastructure. Some examples of the additional revenue sources that would be available to the Village under Home Rule would be as follows: Hotel/Motel Tax — the Village projects that it will collect approximately $200K in revenue from hotel/motel tax this coming fiscal year. However, as a non-home rule municipality, we are only allowed to use these funds for things that could attract overnight tourism, which is quite limiting. If we were a home rule municipality, we could allocate some of these funds to ongoing infrastructure needs. Gaming — as a non-home rule municipality, the Village is only allowed to charge a $25/year fee for gaming machines. As a home rule municipality, the Village could increase that amount to $1,000/year fee per machine, which would generate an additional $25K-$30K per year in revenue. Interest Rate Savings — Home Rule units of government also enjoy higher debt ratings that translate to lower interest costs on debt. Debt can be issued without referendum as General Obligation Debt which also lowers the interest cost. Home Rule provides the lowest interest costs for residents and tax payers of the community. Village Fines/Tickets — last year the Village experienced a tragic situation in which there were deadly dog attacks. As a non-home rule municipality, the Village was limited in the fines and penalties that it could assess. As a home rule municipality, the Village could impose higher fines and respond quicker to these situations should they occur in the future. As a home rule municipality, the Village would also be allowed to issue Village tickets in the place of State tickets for certain traffic
violations, redirecting more of those fines directly to our community instead of to the State fund. Cigarettes/Alcohol/Gaming — as a non-home rule municipality, the Village is limited on the sales tax that it can generate on the sale of these items at establishments within our community. As a home rule municipality, the Village would be able to assess a small additional tax, similar to that imposed in other communities. Home rule would also give the Village Board flexibility to modify other ordinances to address specific concerns of our community or to ease restrictions that may not be necessary or relevant in our community. Crime Free Housing - In most small communities, a small percentage of the homes generate most of the police visits. These homeowners or apartment landlords either have no control over themselves or their tenants, and that makes it a problem for innocent victims who live there, the neighbors and the police. In order to give our Village the authority to effectively deal with these problem residents, we need Home Rule authority to enact a Crime Free Housing ordinance that has teeth. Big cities like Chicago, Joliet, Aurora and Tinley Park have Home Rule authority because of their size, which allows them to go above and beyond the state laws which restrict all small villages to the letter of the state law. We need to be one step ahead of any problems, not chasing them down the street. If Westchester voters approve a Home Rule referendum, the village officials will immediately enact a Crime Free Housing Ordinance which will empower our local government to identify, ticket, prosecute and remove habitual ordinance violators from the Village limits and they will be prohibited from moving back. Funeral Processions – if the Village were a home rule municipality, it could establish an ordinance that would require funeral homes to give advance notice to the Village prior to leading a procession through our Village, which would allow our law enforcement to better prepare for the excess traffic. SAFEGUARDS The Village will be voting on a new ordinance to address resident concerns regarding the potential abuse of power and the concern that the Board may wish to increase property taxes as a source of revenue. The Policy reads that prior to the adoption of any ordinance imposing an additional increase in property taxes above and beyond the amounts that would be collected as a non-home rule municipality, the Village must send a letter to each resident advising them of the intention of the Board. Seven to ten days later, the Board is to conduct a public meeting regarding the proposed ordinance. The Board will not vote on the
ordinance for at least three consecutive Village Board meetings, allowing residents enough time to address the Board and express their support or opposition. Additionally, if the Board moves forward with imposing an additional property tax, it will automatically trigger a referendum whereby the residents will have the opportunity to vote to repeal home rule. A copy of the above-mentioned referendum can be found on the Village website at www.westchester-il.org. GENERAL QUESTIONS ON HOME RULE Q. What is home rule? A. Established by adoption of the 1970 Illinois Constitution, home rule shifts greater responsibility and authority for local government decision making from the state level to the local level. Municipalities with a population of more than 25,000 are automatically home rule units, which allows more flexibility in addressing “bigger town” matters such as local financial, commercial and industrial issues. Q. Considering Westchester’s population is only about 17,000, how can Westchester become a home rule town? A. By a referendum vote Westchester can become a home rule town. The Village Board has approved a resolution authorizing the question to appear on the March 17, 2020 ballot. Q. Is home rule common and are there other towns nearby that are home
rule towns? A. There are currently 217 home rule municipalities representing over 70 percent of Illinois residents. Home rule municipalities range in size from 2.7 million residents in the City of Chicago to 69 residents in Muddy, Illinois. Home rule villages and cities near Westchester include the following: Bellwood, Berkeley, Berwyn, Hillside, Maywood, McCook, Oak Park, Oakbrook Terrace, Rosemont and Stickney. Q. Are there restrictions on home rule authority? A. The General Assembly has imposed limits on home rule units by preemption or declaration that certain actions are an exclusive power of the state. Preemption by the state has included certain licensing powers, pensions, the Open Meetings Act and the Public Labor Relations Act. In addition, any home rule action would still be subject to all the restrictions in the federal and state constitutions such as due process requirements. Q. How can we learn more about this home rule referendum? A. A significant amount of research, studies and analysis has been conducted over the years regarding home rule. The facts on home rule along with associated literature can be found on the Village website. General questions regarding the Home Rule Referendum shall be directed to the Village Manager at pnosek@westchesteril.org.
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Chamber of Commerce MARCH 2020 23
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MARCH 2020
