Home Rule FAQ
This document answers some of the most common questions regarding the use of home rule authority and what it could mean for municipalities throughout Illinois. Home rule allows a community increased control through local decision making. These questions arise when a community is considering going to referendum to either obtain, maintain or rescind home rule status.
Carbondale, IL Home Rule Fact Sheet
Home rule status is automatically designated when municipalities have at least 25,000 residents or have adopted home-rule by referendum. Following the completion of the 2020 Census, Carbondale’s new population is 21,857, a decline from the 2010 census total of 25,902. This means that in order to maintain home-rule status, the City of Carbondale must seek approval from residents via referendum. At the November 8, 2022, General Election, you will be asked to vote on whether Carbondale should remain a home-rule municipality or become a non-home rule municipality. Carbondale has been a home-rule community since 1972.