Home Rule

Batavia is a Home Rule community.

What is Home Rule in Illinois?

The state grants home rule automatically to units of government with populations greater than 25,000. Home rule grants local authority over local matters. Batavia became home rule in 2009.

Article VII, Section 6(a) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 provides: Except as limited by this Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs including, but not limited to, the power to regulate for the protection of the public health, safety, morals and welfare; to license; to tax; and to incur debt.

Non-home rule may only exercise authority specifically granted to them by the state.

 State Statutes must specifically state whether Home Rule Authority is being limited or preempted. If it does not specifically state that a Home Rule unit cannot do it, then it can.

Home rule provides the ability to diversify the tax base, to govern through local adjudication, to enact local controls tailored to local concerns and to issue debt without referendum.

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