The Crystal Lake Library Board asked for its $31 million advisory bond referendum to be held on Presidential Election Day.

I have talked to two political types who advised the Board to wait until a lower turnout election.

Had two new library opponents not filed for the Crystal Lake City Council, I am not at all certain that the Library Board would have withdrawn its request for a second referendum for April 4th.

Only 15% of the voters turned out.

In Crystal Lake there were something over 3,000 voters.

By contrast, supporters of the November referendum (66.6% of registered voters turning out countywide) cast 8,453 votes.

Election results of the Crystal Lake Library bond referendum.

Somehow I think supporters of building a new library in Crystal Lake could have marshaled a majority of the 3,000-some votes cast in Crystal Lake on April 4th.

Of course, if a tax hike referendum had been on the ballot there might well have been a higher turnout in Crystal Lake and any councilman on the ballot who had voted for it might have h ad a target painted on his back.

“Vote Yes” urges the yard sign for the Geneva Library referendum.

At any rate, the Geneva Library held its referendum on April 4th.

And, it passed.

The vote was 3,268-3,772.

It was obviously a close election: 50.2% to 48.96%.

The turnout was much higher than in McHenry County.

It was 32.52%. (The Kane County Clerk reports turn for each election jurisdiction.)

Geneva’s may have been high because there were two tax hike referendums on the ballot.

The other one was for the Kane County Forest Preserve District.