Mayor Ford said Sept. 2 that the Lake County board has approved a proposed ordinance to dissolve the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District and described a multi-step process that could leave the village without mosquito control next year. The county will first order an audit, then may adopt an ordinance to finalize dissolution; if adopted the board chair must petition a court to appoint a trustee in dissolution and terminate the district's governing board.
The mayor said the county’s memo explains there is a 30-day window during which a “backdoor” referendum could be triggered; the county will publish the signature threshold — 7.5 percent of registered voters in the unit or 200 registered voters, whichever is less. If a valid petition is filed, the referendum could appear on a March or April ballot, the mayor said.
Why it matters: village officials said dissolution would likely end any county contract for mosquito abatement services and shift the cost and responsibility to municipalities or require new intergovernmental agreements. The village’s recent experience under the district shows annual costs of roughly $85,000–$90,000 for similar services, the mayor said, and the district currently holds a little over $1 million with no debt.
Village leaders said they are exploring alternatives including intergovernmental agreements with neighboring districts such as the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District and potentially negotiating services directly with providers. The mayor said there is a call with mayors and village managers for municipalities inside the South Lake District on Sept. 17 and a meeting set with the North Shore district for Sept. 25.
Trustee Eastman said it may be difficult for smaller municipalities like Riverwoods and Bannockburn to collect enough petition signatures to carry a referendum in low-turnout municipal elections. Trustee Clayton asked whether any funds in the district would be returned to taxpayers; the mayor said that, to the village’s knowledge, funds would be redistributed to the municipalities and reiterated that many details remain unclear until the audit and county actions conclude.
The village identified the matter as a budget-year risk because it is occurring during the local budgeting season and warned that mosquito-control planning (larvicides and adult sprays) begins in April–May. The mayor said the village would continue to monitor county action, attend relevant meetings and pursue possible intergovernmental agreements to preserve services and control costs.
Less critical detail: the mayor thanked local representatives who have testified before the county committee and said she planned to meet with the new chair of the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District.