Referendum roundup for DeKalb County 2024 election: unofficial results

Voters across DeKalb County had a final chance Tuesday to cast ballots for a number of referenda on sales taxes, municipal offices, school board elections and more.

Race results are not certified until two weeks after the election.

• Countywide sales tax: NO: 52%, or 23,181; YES: 21,333, or 47%
• All DeKalb County voters were asked whether they support a new 1% sales tax that could collect an estimated $10 million for public schools countywide. If passed, the tax would be imposed countywide and benefit school districts relative to their student population size, officials have said.
• DeKalb city clerk: elected or appointed? NO: 8,705 votes, or 67%; YES: 4,145 votes, or 32%
• Voters in the county’s two largest municipalities were asked to help decide the future of the largely administrative offices. This is the third time the question was posed to DeKalb voters. In DeKalb, the question follows about a decade of turnover at city hall in the clerk’s role, and the previous two city clerks, who each have sued the city of DeKalb over various professional disputes. If voters determine they still want an elected clerk, recent action by the DeKalb City Council means a new clerk, if elected in the spring, will not be paid a city salary. If the majority of voters back an appointed clerk, that position would be hired as a city employee.
• Sycamore city clerk: elected or appointed? NO: 6,956 votes, or 72%; YES: 2,650 votes, or 27%
• In Sycamore, city officials including Mayor Steve Braser and City Manager Michael Hall already have said they would support an appointed clerk. Hall has said the Sycamore City Council’s decision to put the question up to voters is not a reflection of work by the current clerk, Mary Kalk.
• Sycamore school board seeks larger candidate pool: NO: 6,088 votes, or 50%; YES: 5,928 votes, or 49%
• Sycamore voters were asked to decide whether anyone in the district can run for a spot on the Sycamore School District 427 Board, regardless of the township in which they reside. The referendum asked voters if they support “at-large” elected members, meaning anyone from district boundaries could run, regardless of what township they live in. Wilder said the majority of students reside within Sycamore and Cortland townships. During the last election, not enough candidates ran to fill all the available seats on the District 427 board. If backed by voter support, the proposed policy change would go into effect for the April election, when some of the board’s seats will be up for election.
• Village of Kirkland 1% municipal sales tax: NO: 409 votes, or 54%; YES: 348 votes, or 45%
• The question asked “Shall the corporate authorities of the village of Kirkland be authorized to levy a Non-Home Rule Municipal Retailers’ Occupation Tax and a Non-Home Rule Municipal Services Occupation Tax (which together are commonly referred to as “municipal sales tax”) at a rate of 1% of eligible sales for expenditures on municipal operations, expenditures on public infrastructure, or property tax relief?”
• City of Sandwich treasurer: stay or nay?: NO: 1,838 votes, or 56%; YES: 1,434 votes, or 43%
• The question asked voters “Should the elected office of the city treasurer of the city of Sandwich be abolished and the duties of the city treasurer be assigned to another city position?”
• Community School District 301 proposition to issue $224.6 million in bonds for new school buildings, including a new high school and athletic stadium:
• The question asked “Shall the Board of Education of Central Community Unit School District Number 301, Kane and DeKalb Counties, Illinois, build and equip a new high school building, including construction of career technical education labs, fine arts spaces, a college/career center, special education classrooms, collaborative spaces and secured entryways and installation of emergency response systems therein, build and equip an outdoor athletic stadium, a field house and athletic fields on the new high school site, improve sites and roadways, and issue its bonds to the amount of $224,600,000 for the purpose of paying costs thereof?”