Officials in Rantoul are asking voters in this November’s election whether they would like to return to electing village trustees to at-large seats instead of districts — and whether cannabis shops should be allowed to operate in town.
The village board voted last week during their Tuesday meeting to put the proposals on the ballot this fall.
Rantoul has had six districts that trustees are elected to represent since 2021, after voters approved the change during the 2018 election.
Trustee Terry Workman said the referendum ultimately leaves the decision in voters’ hands.
“The people will decide whether to change districts. Not us, we will not do that,” he said.
But Rantoul Resident Sabrina Rivera urged the board to keep the option off the ballot.
“Ending district representatives would endanger our community’s ability to secure leadership that has a stake in what happens to our home,” Rivera said.
Village Clerk Janet Gray said if voters were to approve the referendum, the change would take effect starting in 2029, when trustees would be elected to village-wide seats instead of for a specific district.
Referendum to overturn 2019 ban on cannabis dispensaries
The board also put another referendum on the November ballot that, if approved by voters, would reverse a ban on cannabis dispensaries in Rantoul.
Rantoul officials banned dispensaries from opening in the village in 2019 after Illinoisians legalized recreational marijuana.
The legalization of marijuana has led to billions of dollars in sales and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, according to Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. Local municipalities can also opt to collect tax revenue from cannabis sales.
Tanisha Calloway told the board that she supports overturning Rantoul’s ban.
“Dispensaries should be [brought] here, because it would be more income for our city, and people won’t have to travel to get what they need, and a lot of people need it for pain, and other things like that,” she said.