Road District Lawsuit Pitting Township Vs. Village Still Ongoing

HOMER GLEN, IL — A lawsuit filed by Homer Township against the Village of Homer Glen regarding the stewardship of the Homer Township Road District — with the township accusing the village of planning to steal its assets — is still pending, the village said on Facebook, dispelling an apparent rumor that the case had been dropped.

"There has been some talk that Homer Township is working with the Village and the lawsuit regarding the Road District has been dropped. This is not true," the village said.

According to Will County Circuit Court, a hearing for the case will be held March 9.

The village said that the township filed a motion to suspend the briefing schedule and file a first amended complaint.

"This action clearly indicates the Township's desire to continue fighting the transfer of stewardship," the village said.

The Village first announced a plan for transferring stewardship of the road district in July 2020. The village said at that time that it was looking to "control its own destiny and protect its residents and property owners well into the future."

According to the lawsuit, which can be found on the village website, the Village informed Homer Township Supervisor Pam Meyers that "it was going to seize the assets" of the road district.

The lawsuit states that the transfer of "stewardship" is a term the village made up.

The township then placed a referendum question on the November 2020 ballot asking voters if the road district should be abolished and its responsibilities and powers assumed by the township. The referendum failed.

The township website had previously stated that a failed referendum could have the potential for "unnecessary litigation" because the commissioner's "unlawful transfer of assets to one stakeholder will need to be challenged by court action."

The township filed the lawsuit against the village in December.

The Homer Glen Village Board approved an intergovernmental agreement on Dec. 9 with the Homer Township Road District. According to the village website, the agreement allows for the transfer of stewardship to occur by March 31.

Patch has reached out to the village and the township for comment.