Ballot question: Shall the City of Batavia cease to be a home rule unit?

Right now, Batavia is a "home rule" community by virtue of having at least 25,000 residents. Home rule gives the City nearly unlimited power to tax, regulate, and incur debt.

Home rule takes away state-imposed tax caps, allowing the City to raise property taxes without limit and without asking the citizens through referendum. It allows the City to create almost as many new taxes as it can imagine: sales tax, gas tax, liquor tax, soda tax, hotel tax, service tax, transfer tax, use tax, etc.

It gives the City power to regulate things like inspections (and accompanying fees) on apartment buildings, even small, converted homes, and can prevent the sale of "as-is" properties.

It takes away the citizens' power to put major bonding issues to referendum, like the $14 million in General Obligation bonds the City wants to issue for the massive 186-unit apartment complex it wants to build downtown.They have stopped listening to citizen concerns, treating the Shodeen project as a foregone conclusion. The problem with giving away the bank to Shodeen, is that it will take money from the essential roles government should have of police and fire protection, roads and sewers, infrastructure to deliver water and electricity, keeping people safe.

The City will argue home rule is beneficial in that it gives them more flexibility and autonomy.

Let's put it to referendum to have the discussion, and ultimately let the people decide.

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