Mayor Baldermann Blasts State Housing Mandates and Financial Cuts as “Political Pawns”

New Lenox Village Board of Trustees Meeting | April 27, 2026

Article Summary:
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann used his executive report to issue a scathing rebuke of pending state legislation—specifically the BUILD Act—that threatens to strip municipalities of their local zoning rights. Baldermann accused Springfield politicians of advancing a personal political agenda while financially suffocating local governments.

State Legislation Remarks Key Points:

• The BUILD Act: Baldermann warned the state’s proposed housing legislation would allow high-density “granny flats” in residential backyards and remove local control over parking and impact fees.

• LGDF Reductions: The Mayor blasted the state for continually reducing the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF), which has dropped from 10% to 6.45%, costing local towns millions.

• State Overreach: Baldermann cited recent state mandates regarding solar farm approvals and the SAFE-T Act as examples of Springfield overriding local authority to the detriment of public safety and community character.

The New Lenox Village Board meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, concluded with a fiery executive address from Mayor Tim Baldermann, who accused state lawmakers of treating local municipalities as “political pawns” to advance the Governor’s national ambitions.

Baldermann focused his ire on the “BUILD Act,” a piece of pending state legislation aimed at addressing affordable housing. According to the Mayor, the bill would strip Village Boards of their ability to regulate residential density, allowing property owners to build secondary structures or “granny flats” in their backyards, while simultaneously restricting a municipality’s ability to require adequate parking or collect impact fees for water and sewer taps.

“The damage that this would do to every community, to the character of every community, how it would tie our hands, how it would impact our infrastructure… it’s insane,” Baldermann said. “This is being addressed from purely a political agenda and not one that takes into any consideration the negative impacts that [it] will have on every single community.”

Baldermann tied the housing legislation to a broader pattern of state overreach, referencing recent laws that severely limited the ability of counties and villages to reject massive solar farm installations.

The Mayor expressed profound frustration that the state continually imposes unfunded mandates while actively defunding local governments. He pointed to the steady erosion of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF)—the portion of state income tax returned to municipalities.

“With the income tax that we’re supposed to get at 10%, and it’s 6.45% and looking to drop even further, we’re losing millions of dollars,” Baldermann said. “It is the most disingenuous, hypocritical nonsense that’s coming out of the Governor’s mouth when he tries putting blame on local government [for property taxes] when we’re left to shoulder the responsibility.”

Baldermann urged residents to look past partisan labels and actively contact their state legislators to oppose the measures.

“This isn’t because of one ideology versus another. This is because of a political agenda,” Baldermann said. “And we are the pawns in this political game.”