What to watch: April 1 municipal elections will give 600,000 Illinoisians a voice on rising property taxes
Voters across eight townships will see advisory questions on fair maps, unfunded mandates and government pensions

CHICAGO (March 31, 2025) – On April 1, residents of eight Illinois townships will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on local and state issues that affect their quality of life and cost of living.

Over 600,000 voters will see at least one of three non-binding advisory questions on their ballots, allowing them to weigh in on some of Illinois’ biggest issues. While the results will not directly change state law, they will send a message to state leaders to reform the policies that impact taxpayers the most.

Experts from the Illinois Policy Institute are available to comment on the referenda and policy reforms Illinoisans will see on their ballots.

What to watch during the April 1 municipal election: 

• Pensions: Voters in Palatine, Lemont, Homer, Palos and Winfield townships will see a question asking, “Should the state of Illinois enact constitutional pension reform to protect workers’ existing retirements and generate savings which could provide property tax relief or be reinvested in the community?”

• Unfunded mandates: Voters in Palatine, Lemont, Homer, Palos, Leyden, Wheeling and Addison townships will see the question, “Should the state of Illinois be allowed to force unfunded mandates on local governments who may raise property taxes to cover the costs of those mandates?”

• Fair maps: Voters in Addison, Lemont, Homer and Palos townships will see the question, “Should the state of Illinois create an independent citizens commission to draw fair and competitive federal and state redistricting maps, rather than allowing lawmakers to decide?”

“Changing current policies surrounding rising pension costs, unfunded mandates and unfair representation in elections will make a difference in helping Illinoisians find meaningful property tax relief,” said Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research for the Illinois Policy Institute. “The upcoming election represents a rare chance for voters to let lawmakers know these issues are important to them. This is a good first step, but the fight for policy reform doesn’t stop here.”

To learn more about the advisory questions on April 1 ballots, visit illin.is/advisory.

For bookings or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.