By Michelle Mullins
Daily Southtown
•Published:
Sep 22, 2023 at 11:34 am
The village of Homer Glen has declined Homer Township’s application to conduct its annual Independence Day parade as political tensions between some local leaders were heightened during meetings this month.
Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said she felt the parade, which usually takes place in late June in conjunction with HomerFest, has become too political when she and village staff declined the township’s request to use village streets. The application was not voted on by the Village Board.
“For the last three years, the township has made the parade political, and I’m tired of having community events be political,” Neitzke-Troike said. “A gathering such as that should be for the residents.”
She said that the township can still put on a parade on roads it has jurisdiction over, or township officials can talk with Lockport and New Lenox officials about using streets there. Portions of Lockport and New Lenox are in Homer Township.
The village of Homer Glen would look into putting on its own parade next year, Neitzke-Troike said.
“No elected official should use village events to further their political careers,” she said.
Meanwhile, Neitzke-Troike said she would like the board to consider putting an advisory referendum on the ballot in the spring to see if residents would like to pursue leaving the township.
“Am I interested in getting the village out of the township? Yes,” Neitzke-Troike said. “I’d like to begin the process to investigate if it’s worth it or not.”
Neitzke-Troike said she wants to know what residents think first. The board would have to vote on whether to place such a question on the ballot.
Village attorney Paul O’Grady said there is a process to remove the village from the township, but he has not yet received any official direction from the board to create a memo outlining the legal steps to do so.
Neitzke-Troike cited the city of Evanston as an example. Evanston moved to dissolve a township in 2012 after City Council members backed an advisory referendum asking voters whether they supported dissolving township government.
Homer Township Supervisor Steve Balich said the township “is not going to lay down.”
“There’s going to be a fight and a half,” he said. “Cause I’m not going to let the people in the unincorporated area down.”
He said he wants the Township Board to consider disconnecting some township properties from the village of Homer Glen. Township-owned properties, such as the Trantina Farm or Welter Farm, that are within village boundaries could then become unincorporated Will County again, Balich said.
“We should consider disconnecting all our township property from the village of Homer Glen … since they don’t want to work with us and they don’t want us. They want to dissolve us,” Balich said. “The attorneys that I talked to suggested that I start the procedures to disconnect all township properties.”
“That’s an important move,” Balich said. “We’re talking about our land.”
Some village and township officials expressed their frustrations with one another, and questioned what services each government provides for residents during their respective meetings this month.
“One of the things you benefit from the village for is excessive rules, lots of regulations,” Balich said.
Neitzke-Troike said Balich spent his township meeting spreading lies about her, and she believes the township officials don’t want to work with her. Neitzke-Troike was elected mayor in the spring.
“Every time we hand (Balich) an olive branch, he hands it back on fire,” Neitzke-Troike said. “I’m tired of it. … Why does it always have to be pick on Homer Glen?”
Some village trustees said they were upset the township’s parade application was declined, noting it has been a longstanding tradition in the community.
“I just don’t believe one person should be making that decision,” Trustee Dan Fialko said. “We should be working together as a community, not fighting over a parade.”
Trustee Jennifer Consolino said she is concerned about the mayor changing the village’s form of government and allowing the mayor to make decisions without the board. The decision to cancel the township’s parade impacts a lot of residents and is disappointing, she said.
“I think this is clearly a personal vendetta,” Consolino said. “I think it’s very disappointing and sad for our community. I think it’s sad for Homer Glen, not just for Homer Township. I know they’ve been doing this parade … for well over 20 years. Also, I don’t appreciate just the absolute authority of ‘I’m going to take it because I can.’”
Consolino said there are more pressing issues in the village than worrying about parades or township government. She said the village and township had been working well together for the past two years.
“Her pursuit of wanting to dissolve the township is taking away from actual duties of the village,” Consolino said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
