Woodstock pushing for home-rule?

The City of Woodstock is hoping (isn't eternal hope wonderful?) for home-rule. In the recent census elected officials were lickin' their chops and rubbing their hands in glee, in anticipation of hitting the magic 25,000 population marker.

But it didn't happen. Yet.

Is home-rule a good thing?

Be sure to read yesterday's article on McHenry County Blog about the adventure of Bridgeview, Ill. into home-rule status. Promotion there in 2002 to "Punch 356" on the ballot resulted in a TKO of Bridgeview voters.

Now somebody tell me that that couldn't have been figured out ahead of time...

Didn't anyone smell a rat in the woodpile with promises like

* 8-year freeze on property taxes (Bridgeview portion)
* No utility tax
* No property sale transfer tax
* stable and secure financial status for Bridgeview

Has Bridgeview's local average-property-tax bill tripled since then???

Hello, Woodstock. Learn from Bridgeview's lesson.

Would Woodstock have to go home-rule at the 25,000-mark? Or is that just the point where seven people can push Woodstock over the cliff?

Stadium? Did someone say "stadium"? Where is that baseball stadium??? You know, the one in Woodstock. Over there by the hospital... By the future home of McHenry County Fairgrounds...

You know, by the strip mine...