Attorney: new state bill could let non‑home‑rule villages adopt home‑rule powers by ordinance

Campton Hills — Village attorney Carmen told the board she had included a brief memo on a newly introduced state bill, Senate Bill 2740, and summarized its potential effects.

Carmen said SB 2740 is in early stages and would, if enacted, allow non‑home‑rule municipalities to adopt certain home‑rule powers by ordinance rather than by referendum. She said the bill was introduced recently, was filed by an assistant majority leader and has already appeared in Illinois Municipal League materials. “It proposes to provide home rule powers, essentially, to non home rule municipalities, by an ordinance of the corporate authority,” Carmen said.

Why it matters: Home‑rule status changes a municipality’s scope to regulate and license activities under what many speakers described as broader "police powers." That can affect local control over property regulation, business licensing and other municipal ordinances; it can also raise politically contested choices about taxation and local authority.

Board discussion and next steps
Trustees asked whether the new draft resembles earlier efforts such as a previously discussed “home rule light” proposal. Carmen said she had not yet compared bill language to prior drafts but would review the prior work and noted the new proposal appeared short and focused on particular powers. She also said the Illinois Municipal League (IML) had flagged the bill, which could signal organized municipal interest in the change.

There was no formal action on SB 2740 at the meeting. Carmen advised that, if the bill advances, the board may need to consider whether to take a local position or action in the future and that the item may return for discussion as its legislative prospects become clearer.