Yes to Stop Collinsville Home Rule

10/19/2022

Please come out to the Senior Center in Collinsville on Thursday 20OCT @ noon for a presentation on why home rule should be eliminated in Collinsville.

09/29/2022

Question:
Wouldn’t removing home rule “give more power to Springfield”???

This is one of the favorite Scare tactics that supporters of home rule will present. When someone asks this question, “Springfield” is used to conjure up images of a dysfunctional state government. But the state has some legitimate purposes, including protection of its citizens. For non-home rule municipalities, the state puts limits—safeguards—on taxing and bonding authority of local government. In non-home rule communities, the state requires local governments to put discretionary financial issues to referendum. Through voter referendum, citizens are provided a choice about their taxes and how they are spent. In a community with Home Rule powers, the state gives the municipal government body the TOTAL authority to make tax and bonding decisions, thus denying the citizens any choice and essentially allowing the government body to ignore any taxpayer input. “Springfield” in reality always has the power (power to delegate power), but when it grants home rule, it shifts & centralizes all the power and authority from the people (residents) to the City Council. This means it only takes 3 council members to indebt & tax a town of almost 25,000 residents. Those council members could theoretically retire & move to Florida but we are left paying the debt & taxes in perpetuity. So as you can see, the supporters battle cry of “Independence from Springfield”, really just means Independence from you the voter. In essence, it creates a Mini Springfield right here in our own town.

See more detailed breakdown of this question along with tables & sources @ https://collinsvilleindependence.com/faq/

09/29/2022