Census results could affect Carbondale home rule, decrease budget

CARBONDALE (WSIL)---When a city in Illinois reaches a population over 25,000 people, it automatically is enrolled in home rule.

Home rule, in it's most basic sense, can give more local control to a municipality.

"If you are a home rule municipality, you have powers in addition to those granted to you by the state government. If you are not a home rule community, the only powers that you have are the ones that are in the state statutes in the state legislature," said City Manager, Gary Williams.

The city of Carbondale has had home rule since 1967, but the 2020 Census determined that the city's population no longer met the requirement.

"Now that we've fallen below that threshold, we're going to be required in November, to put a question on the November election, asking our voters if they want to retain home rule," said Williams.

Home rule allows for a couple of advantages.

It requires licensing and inspections for rental homes, and 70% of homes in Carbondale are rentals.

It also gives the city taxing authority.

"In Carbondale, the city has utilized it's home rule authority to fund city government more from sales taxes and user taxes, because so many people come from outside of Carbondale and spend money here, and they've maintained a very low real estate tax levy," said Williams.

However, home rule allows the city to implement taxes such as a 2.5% home rule tax, a motor fuel that is higher than the state maximum, and a food and beverage tax.

"Just in home rule taxes and not the additional motor fuel tax or the other taxes that we use to fund our capital improvement projects, about $8.6 million of a $25 million budget, so about a third of our total revenue comes from home rule sales tax. In contrast, we generate a little over $1 million in real estate tax," said Williams.

But city officials want voters to know, home rule is nothing new.

"In Illinois, there are hundreds of home rule communities. Most of the communities here are home rule and they've been granted home rule via a referendum. Marion's a home rule community, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Benton, West Frankfort, Murphysboro, Du Quoin, so this isn't a unique concept in terms of how you manage local government," said Williams.

The vote for home rule will be on Carbondale's ballot in November.