New Lenox Mayor Slams Springfield Affordable Housing Proposal as “Garbage,” Board Passes Opposing Resolution

New Lenox Village Board of Trustees Meeting | March 23, 2026

Article Summary: The New Lenox Village Board unanimously passed Resolution #26-28 supporting municipal housing authority, with Mayor Tim Baldermann fiercely criticizing proposed state legislation that would eliminate local zoning control over backyard structures and lot sizes. Village officials warned the state mandate could strain infrastructure and fundamentally alter the community’s character.

Municipal Housing Authority Resolution Key Points:

• Legislative Pushback: Resolution #26-28 formally opposes a state-level affordable housing initiative designed to bypass local zoning boards.

• Loss of Local Control: The state proposal would allow property owners to build ancillary residential structures in backyards and potentially reduce lot sizes by up to 75% without Village Board approval.

• Infrastructure Threats: Village officials warned the unchecked density increases could strain local water and sewer systems, creating a potential public health crisis.

• Financial Frustrations: Mayor Tim Baldermann tied the housing legislation to ongoing state reductions of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF), which has dwindled to 6.47%.

The New Lenox Village Board on Monday, March 23, 2026, unanimously passed a resolution demanding the preservation of municipal housing authority, serving as a platform for Mayor Tim Baldermann to deliver a blistering critique of a proposed state housing initiative he called “absolute garbage.”

Resolution #26-28, which aligns with framing from the Illinois Municipal League, opposes pending legislation in Springfield aimed at addressing affordable housing shortages by stripping local governments of their zoning oversight.

Community Development Director Robin Ellis drafted a detailed memorandum for the Board outlining the severe local impacts of the state’s proposal. According to the Village, the legislation would allow residents to construct ancillary living structures in their backyards and drastically reduce minimum lot sizes without requiring any approval from the Village Board or zoning committees.

“Affordability is an issue. It’s a problem in this country, and wanting to address it is important,” Baldermann said. “Cost of gas, cost of food, mortgage rates… they make it harder for young people, in particular, to get out of their parents’ basement. But with this thing, they don’t have to get out of your basement. You can build a shack in your backyard and let them live there.”

Baldermann warned that circumventing local zoning would do more than change the aesthetic character of New Lenox; it would create unmanageable stress on foundational infrastructure. Ellis’s report noted that sudden, unchecked increases in residential density could overwhelm the Village’s water supply and sewer systems, potentially triggering a public health crisis.

The Mayor tied the state’s housing proposal to a broader pattern of Springfield overreach and financial drain, specifically citing state mandates on solar panel zoning and ongoing cuts to the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). Baldermann noted the LGDF has been slashed over the years from 10% down to 6.47%, costing municipalities across the state an estimated $11 billion.

“We know all government is local. We plow the streets. We police the streets. Our Public Works staff takes care of water and sewer… yet we’re going to have to do it with less money than we are entitled to,” Baldermann said.

Baldermann suggested the affordable housing push is tied to the Governor’s personal political ambitions, accusing the state of imposing its will on local municipalities while simultaneously complaining about federal overreach.

“I mean, honestly, if this ridiculousness… I can’t believe it’s going to pass,” Baldermann said. “If it gets anywhere near close to passing, I’m going to come back to you and tell you we spend every dime we have to buy up every scrap of land in this town so we can decide who we want to sell to and not sell to. Because if we don’t, then we’re just going to see zoning that we don’t want to see.”

The Board passed the resolution in a 7-0 roll call vote following a motion by Trustee Lindsay Scalise and a second by Trustee Keith Madsen.