The Financial and Administrative Committee on Aug. 7 approved a proposing ordinance to dissolve the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District (SLMAD), initiating a statutory process that requires a county audit of the district’s finances and could ultimately lead to dissolution unless municipal petitioners force the question to a voter referendum. The committee vote advanced the ordinance to the full county board.

Public comment at the meeting was strongly divided. Several residents and trustees from Riverwoods and other communities urged the county to retain SLMAD, saying it provides coordinated mosquito surveillance, West Nile testing and targeted larvicide application and noting potential environmental harms from uncoordinated or private spraying. Others, including a Highland Park resident and SLMAD trustee speaking as a private citizen, urged dissolution and argued municipalities could contract directly for services at lower cost while restoring elected local control.

What the committee approved: the proposing ordinance does not dissolve the district immediately; it triggers a county audit of SLMAD’s finances to establish assets, liabilities and a cash balance at a point in time. County staff said the audit will be performed by the county finance department and that an audit report will be returned to the board. If the board later adopts an authorizing resolution, municipalities impacted by the district will have a 30‑day window to collect signatures to trigger a referendum (petition threshold explained by staff as either 7.5% of the municipality’s voting population or 200 registered voters, whichever is applicable). Absent a successful petition and referendum, the county would proceed with court action to appoint a trustee and complete dissolution. Staff estimated the overall timeline from ordinance approval through final court dissolution in past cases has ranged from six to 18 months.

Key arguments raised by public speakers: opponents of dissolution said SLMAD provides economies of scale, routine testing for West Nile virus and targeted, data‑driven treatments that minimize environmental impacts (speakers named SLMAD’s contractor Clark and said the district uses targeted larviciding and adulticiding only when necessary). Supporters of dissolution described SLMAD’s board governance as non‑elected and said the district historically paid a national contractor at higher per‑square‑mile rates than some municipalities. Speakers on both sides cited Lake Bluff’s prior dissolution as an example supporting their view: proponents of dissolution said Lake Bluff contracted for the same services at lower cost; opponents said dissolution elsewhere had led to decreased service levels in some municipalities.

Committee discussion and next steps: members emphasized the proposing ordinance is one step of a multi‑step legal process and that the audit will only provide a financial accounting, not an efficiency or value judgment. Several committee members said municipal officials should be given time to review audit results and that municipalities will have opportunities to seek a referendum. Assistant County Administrator Dan Hall reviewed the process steps and statutory requirements, including notice, petition mechanics and the court process to appoint a trustee if dissolution proceeds. The committee approved the proposing ordinance and will forward it to the county board for its consideration.

Why it matters: SLMAD covers a small portion of Lake County but conducts public‑health monitoring and contracts for mosquito control across multiple municipalities; dissolution would shift responsibility and costs to those municipalities, affect service levels and require distribution of any remaining district assets among affected jurisdictions. The committee did not dissolve the district today; it authorized the audit and set in motion the petition and potential referendum steps spelled out in state statute.