Highland Park councilors back asking Lake County to favor North Shore takeover if South Lake Mosquito District dissolves

Highland Park city officials on Thursday urged Lake County to favor a merger with the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District if the county proceeds with dissolving the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District, citing continuity of service and lower taxes as chief concerns.

Assistant City Manager Emily Taub told the Committee of the Whole that Lake County adopted an ordinance on Aug. 12 proposing dissolution of the independent, taxing South Lake Mosquito Abatement District, and that the county is now conducting an audit of the district's financial statements. "We are recommending combination with an adjoining district," Taub said, describing consolidation with North Shore as the most cost-effective option the city has identified.

The committee was briefed on how the process would proceed under county guidance: an audit, an authorizing ordinance, public notice that triggers a 30-day period for petitions to force a referendum, appointment of a trustee if no referendum is filed, and completion of dissolution not less than 60 days after a trustee's appointment. Taub said Lake County estimates the process could take about six months from start to finish if no petition is filed.

Why it matters: the South Lake district is the taxing authority that pays roughly $570,000 a year for contracted mosquito work and currently holds an estimated $1.6 million in cash. If North Shore annexes South Lake territory it would set the tax rate for services and assume assets and contracts; city staff said North Shore's tax rate has historically been about 30% lower than South Lake's and that North Shore provides in-house staffing and an emphasis on prevention and public engagement.

Taub cautioned that consolidation would mean a permanent loss of local control: "The annexing district assumes full control of the services and sets the tax rate." Committee members raised additional concerns about representation on a combined board, noting state law and population formulas would likely give Highland Park one appointment on a five-member board if North Shore absorbs South Lake.

Council members and staff also discussed alternatives should consolidation not take place: (1) no municipal mosquito abatement (individual property owners could contract privately), (2) Highland Park hires staff or contracts directly with a private operator (Taub said the city currently lacks in-house expertise and no funds are budgeted for abatement in 2025 or 2026), or (3) a multi-jurisdiction intergovernmental agreement among the affected South Lake communities to bid joint services. Lake County Health Department has offered surveillance and testing guidance but does not directly provide abatement services, Taub said.

Committee members voiced broad support for drafting a formal letter to Lake County and North Shore expressing Highland Park's preference for consolidation into North Shore and asking that the county preserve continuity of services and return, if legally appropriate, tax dollars to affected communities. Several members also requested that Highland Park ask for transitional accommodations: either ex officio, nonvoting participation by current South Lake board members for one to two years, or at minimum regular attendance by former board members at public meetings so the district's institutional knowledge is available to the annexing body.

What was not decided: the city did not take a formal legislative action or vote to bind Highland Park to any outcome; staff said the council's feedback will be shared with county and district partners and will inform a written communication. The county, not the city, controls whether it will adopt the authorizing ordinance and whether a trustee will be appointed.

Background: South Lake Mosquito Abatement District (SLMAD) serves Highland Park and neighboring towns including Highwood, Deerfield, Riverwoods and Bannockburn. SLMAD is an independent unit of local government that contracts with Clark Mosquito Control for operations and does not have on-site administrative staff. Taub described integrated mosquito management components the district funds: education, larviciding, surveillance and targeted adult mosquito control.

Next steps: staff will draft a letter to Lake County and the relevant mosquito abatement districts conveying Highland Park's policy feedback and the committee's preference; the city will continue to monitor the county audit and any public filings that trigger petition or referendum windows.

Ending: Council members emphasized they do not control Lake County's legal steps but want to make clear Highland Park's concerns about public health, continuity of service, representation on any annexing board and a request for transitional arrangements to preserve institutional knowledge.