Larry Morrissey for Mayor

Dear Friends:

I told you when I was elected that I would call on you from time-to-time to ask for your support on items that will continue to move our City forward. Home Rule authority is a very important issue and one for which I ask your support now.

Simply stated, Home Rule authority empowers locally elected officials to tackle local problems. It goes to the heart of what I talked about during the campaign. That is, for Rockford to thrive, we must be ready to "save ourselves." It's not that we don't want or expect our leaders in Springfield and Washington to do their part, but we must take primary responsibility for our future.

In Rockford we gave up this ability over 22 years ago (I was 13 years old) and now we have to ask Springfield to grant us the authority to implement local solutions. Home Rule gives power and responsibility to our local people and our local officials.

What can Home Rule do for our community? Here are a few examples:

Fight Crime
Home Rule in Rockford would mean that our local City Government could enact ordinances that would make our neighborhoods safer. We could address serious concerns with irresponsible absentee landlords and have more tools to shut down drug houses and condemn abandoned buildings. Legislation could be passed that would allow us to shut down a crack house after one drug bust, for instance, rather than waiting for two separate busts.

Improve Education
Home Rule in Rockford would mean that our local City Government could enact an ordinance addressing truancy directly. This past summer we passed a daytime curfew, but without Home Rule, we could not and cannot pass an ordinance directly related to a truancy violation. A State truancy violation requires 18 unexcused absences before a violation occurs! By that time, for many kids it is simply too late. We want to give our educators, or law enforcement officials, and our parents the ability to hold each other accountable on the first truancy violation.

Better Leverage Your Tax Dollars
Contrary to what you might have heard, Home Rule does not mean higher taxes. Numerous reports and comparisons between Home Rule and non Home Rule communities demonstrates that there is no correlation between Home Rule and higher aggregate taxes. In fact, Home Rule communities like Peoria have a substantially lower property tax rate. Those communities have more tools to enact a fairer tax system for their people.

In fact, Home Rule can give our locally elected officials the ability to manage our finances more efficiently. It is estimated that Rockford has paid nearly $5 million in extra interest payments on its bonds because we have not had Home Rule. Rockford currently pays an extra $75,000 to $100,000 in interest every year because of the effect of lack of home rule on its debt. We could have another policeman on the street instead.

Increase Economic Development
Home Rule will give our locally elected leaders the ability to more competitively pursue local development projects. Without Home Rule, we are limited in what we can do, which gives our competitors in other municipalities the edge when it comes to bringing in jobs. In our efforts to bring passenger rail back to Rockford, for instance, we are currently struggling because without Home Rule we cannot directly acquire rail right-of-way outside our municipal boundaries.

In the State of Illinois, over 70% of all residents are governed under municipalities exercising Home Rule power. Rockford is by far the largest community without Home Rule. No Illinois City has eliminated Home Rule authority since we did so in 1983. The lack of Home Rule authority has dictated much of how we governed ourselves over the last 22 years. I can't help but believe that our lack of Home Rule authority has become a rationalization and resentment for our community: a self-fulfilling rationalization by some for why we do not seem to thrive like we once did; and a source of resentment and disconnect between our leadership and our people. With Home Rule, leaders must continuously make sure they are communicating with and in-synch with the people. Without Home Rule, an engaged democracy is not as important as the mutual sense seems to be that there is little harm (or good) that can happen anyway. Thus, we have seemed to plod down the desolate path of fear and low expectations.

I think one of the main things our success in the Mayoral election demonstrated was that our City was ready to break from its "addiction to mediocrity". It is fear and distrust that mires organizations and cities in mediocrity and inactivity. Leadership and the people must be united and confident to do great things. I know we are ready to do great things. My belief is that this community is tired of mediocrity, tired of assuming leadership will fail, and tired of inactivity. I think we are ready to rekindle the sacred fire and oath of our representative democracy: we entrust leaders to represent responsibly the people, and we entrust our people to vote out leaders who fail to meet our high standards.

I believe we are ready to move forward with faith not fear, with hope not despair, and with decision making and authority that is close, not far away. I ask you to seriously examine this issue and join us in this campaign to bring back Home Rule. There is much more information on the website: www.homerulenow.com . Please visit the site and read some of the related articles, and you will find information on how to get involved in the campaign. If you have a community group or neighborhood group that would like additional information, please let us know and we would be happy to come discuss the issue.

For now, please join me and other community leaders at the Home Rule Rally next week on Monday, November 14, 2005 at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, 1601 Parkview Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. You will learn more about home rule and how its return would benefit Rockford.

Larry Morrissey
Mayor of Rockford


GREETINGS FROM LARRY Dear Friends: I told you when I was elected that I would call on you from time-to-time to ask for your support on items that will continue to move our City forward. Home Rule authority is a very important issue and one for which I ask your support now. Simply stated, Home Rule authority empowers locally elected officials to tackle local problems. It goes to the heart of what I talked about during the campaign. That is, for Rockford to thrive, we must be ready to "save ourselves." It's not that we don't want or expect our leaders in Springfield and Washington to do their part, but we must take primary responsibility for our future. In Rockford we gave up this ability over 22 years ago (I was 13 years old) and now we have to ask Springfield to grant us the authority to implement local solutions. Home Rule gives power and responsibility to our local people and our local officials. What can Home Rule do for our community? Here are a few examples: Fight Crime Home Rule in Rockford would mean that our local City Government could enact ordinances that would make our neighborhoods safer. We could address serious concerns with irresponsible absentee landlords and have more tools to shut down drug houses and condemn abandoned buildings. Legislation could be passed that would allow us to shut down a crack house after one drug bust, for instance, rather than waiting for two separate busts. Improve Education Home Rule in Rockford would mean that our local City Government could enact an ordinance addressing truancy directly. This past summer we passed a daytime curfew, but without Home Rule, we could not and cannot pass an ordinance directly related to a truancy violation. A State truancy violation requires 18 unexcused absences before a violation occurs! By that time, for many kids it is simply too late. We want to give our educators, or law enforcement officials, and our parents the ability to hold each other accountable on the first truancy violation. Better Leverage Your Tax Dollars Contrary to what you might have heard, Home Rule does not mean higher taxes. Numerous reports and comparisons between Home Rule and non Home Rule communities demonstrates that there is no correlation between Home Rule and higher aggregate taxes. In fact, Home Rule communities like Peoria have a substantially lower property tax rate. Those communities have more tools to enact a fairer tax system for their people. In fact, Home Rule can give our locally elected officials the ability to manage our finances more efficiently. It is estimated that Rockford has paid nearly $5 million in extra interest payments on its bonds because we have not had Home Rule. Rockford currently pays an extra $75,000 to $100,000 in interest every year because of the effect of lack of home rule on its debt. We could have another policeman on the street instead. Increase Economic Development Home Rule will give our locally elected leaders the ability to more competitively pursue local development projects. Without Home Rule, we are limited in what we can do, which gives our competitors in other municipalities the edge when it comes to bringing in jobs. In our efforts to bring passenger rail back to Rockford, for instance, we are currently struggling because without Home Rule we cannot directly acquire rail right-of-way outside our municipal boundaries. In the State of Illinois, over 70% of all residents are governed under municipalities exercising Home Rule power. Rockford is by far the largest community without Home Rule. No Illinois City has eliminated Home Rule authority since we did so in 1983. The lack of Home Rule authority has dictated much of how we governed ourselves over the last 22 years. I can't help but believe that our lack of Home Rule authority has become a rationalization and resentment for our community: a self-fulfilling rationalization by some for why we do not seem to thrive like we once did; and a source of resentment and disconnect between our leadership and our people. With Home Rule, leaders must continuously make sure they are communicating with and in-synch with the people. Without Home Rule, an engaged democracy is not as important as the mutual sense seems to be that there is little harm (or good) that can happen anyway. Thus, we have seemed to plod down the desolate path of fear and low expectations. I think one of the main things our success in the Mayoral election demonstrated was that our City was ready to break from its "addiction to mediocrity". It is fear and distrust that mires organizations and cities in mediocrity and inactivity. Leadership and the people must be united and confident to do great things. I know we are ready to do great things. My belief is that this community is tired of mediocrity, tired of assuming leadership will fail, and tired of inactivity. I think we are ready to rekindle the sacred fire and oath of our representative democracy: we entrust leaders to represent responsibly the people, and we entrust our people to vote out leaders who fail to meet our high standards. I believe we are ready to move forward with faith not fear, with hope not despair, and with decision making and authority that is close, not far away. I ask you to seriously examine this issue and join us in this campaign to bring back Home Rule. There is much more information on the website: www.homerulenow.com . Please visit the site and read some of the related articles, and you will find information on how to get involved in the campaign. If you have a community group or neighborhood group that would like additional information, please let us know and we would be happy to come discuss the issue. For now, please join me and other community leaders at the Home Rule Rally next week on Monday, November 14, 2005 at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, 1601 Parkview Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. You will learn more about home rule and how its return would benefit Rockford. Larry Morrissey Mayor of Rockford

Home Rule Rally Please join us for a Home Rule Rally Monday, November 14 in the University of Illinois School of Medicine Auditorium at 1601 Parkview Avenue in Rockford. Mayor Larry Morrissey, Rockford College President Paul Pribbenow, Empower Rockford Chairman Jim Keeling, and Chief of Police Dominic Iasparro will deliver their views and answer questions. You can learn more about the benefits of Home Rule, volunteer to become a grassroots Empower Rockford teammate and help Rockford take a bold step forward into a more positive future. For information, please call 815.997.1610 or email info@homerulenow.com. Bring a friend and invite your alderman as well as neighborhood association and church leaders. It's time to rally, Rockford.
Citizens for Morrissey: P.O.Box 4288 • Rockford, IL 61110 • 815-968-MORC (6672)

GREETINGS FROM LARRY

Home Rule Rally