2020/03/02 - Mayor's Column: Upcoming Election
“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
The General Primary Election will be held this year on March 17, 2020. Elections in O’Fallon are administered by the St. Clair County Clerk. They have a lot of good information about the election, including polling place location and sample ballots, on their website: http://www.countyclerk.co.st-clair.il.us/elections/Pages/default.aspx.
The ballot in March will feature primaries for the President of the United States, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. There will also be numerous ballot measures and elections on the local level.
There is one special ballot measure that is specifically for the City of O’Fallon. For O’Fallon voters, their ballots will feature a question about adult-use cannabis business establishments. The official ballot language will be:
(Instructions to Voters: The Illinois General Assembly approved the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (Public Act 101-0027) legalizing the possession and consumption of recreational cannabis. The Act provides that municipalities have the authority to regulate non-medical recreational adult-use cannabis business establishments through zoning, taxation, and prohibition. The state law defines adult-use cannabis business establishments as: a cultivation center, craft grower, processing organization, infuser organization, dispensing organization or transporting organization.)
“Shall the City of O’Fallon allow adult-use cannabis business establishments within the city limits of O’Fallon including the corresponding regulation and taxation?”
Even if you do not wish to declare a party affiliation in the primary, at the polls you can ask for a “Non-Partisan Ballot” that will include the cannabis referendum.
A little bit of background information: On January 1, 2020 it became legal in the State of Illinois to possess and consume cannabis for recreation use. The new law also allowed for individuals with medical approval to grow up to five cannabis plants in their home, under certain restrictions. While the consumption of cannabis is legal, the new law still prohibits the consumption of cannabis in public spaces, including parks.
The City of O’Fallon in September 2019 joined many other communities around the State in placing a ban on the establishment of Retail Sales Facilities, Smoke Shops and Commercial growing facilities. At the time of the passage, the City Council said it wanted to continue to study the impact that these types of operations could have on the Quality of Life and Safety of our residents in our community.
As part of that continuing study and gathering of information, the City Council has voted to allow the Citizens of O’Fallon to have their own input by voting on a ballot question in the March 2020 election.
There are a small number of individuals that have a personal and financial incentive to want retail sales facilities, smoke shops and commercial growing facilities. These select few have fabricated fake information and are attempting to tell the voters of O’Fallon that if they vote no on the cannabis referendum, that it will take away the right to use medical or recreational use of cannabis. This is not true.
The referendum on March 17th has nothing to do with the use of medical or recreational cannabis. The question is solely to share your feelings on whether the City of O'Fallon should allow cannabis businesses to operate within the City.
No matter which way the residents or City Council decide to vote, It does not take away the use of cannabis in private homes or the growth in private homes for medical purposes which are allowed across the State of Illinois under the new law.
This vote by the public is not a binding vote on the City Council but it is an additional piece of information for the Council to consider as it goes forward with their deliberations. The ultimate decision will be by a vote of the City Council.
As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!