Overview

The elected governing body consists of the Village President and a Board of six Trustees, each with four-year terms of office. None of the elected officials receive a salary. Municipal elections are held on the first Tuesday of April in odd numbered years. The polling place for these and all other elections is at the Lake Barrington Village Hall (Cuba Township Precinct 66), near the intersection of Kelsey Rd & Old Barrington Rd.

In addition to the elected officials, various officials and officers are appointed by the Village President and confirmed by the Board of Trustees. These include the seven member Village Plan Commission (5 year terms), seven member Zoning Board of Appeals (5 year terms), Village Clerk, Deputy Clerk, Office Manager, Building Officer, Arborist, Tree Commissioner, Treasurer and Village Attorney (1 year each). All of the above are unpaid volunteers, with the exception of Village Clerk, Office Manager, Treasurer, Building Officer and Attorney, who are paid on a part time basis.

The Village also provides a professional police force, consisting of a Police Chief and several other part time officers.

The Village has no full time employees.

Other Government Bodies

INTERGOVERNMENTAL

Tower Lakes is a charter member of the Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG).  This is an intergovernmental body founded in 1970 whose mission is to foster discussion and study of area needs and to promote coordination of activities to solve problems of a regional nature. Its membership consists of the Village Presidents of Barrington, South Barrington,  Barrington Hills, North Barrington, Lake Barrington and Tower Lakes, the Township Supervisors of Cuba and Barrington Townships, plus an Executive Director. Its planning area covers some 95 square miles. The BACOG office is at the Barrington Hills Village Hall, 112 Algonquin Rd., Barrington Hills, IL, 60010. Phone:  847-381-7871, Fax: (847) 381-7882. Meetings are held at 7:30 PM the 4th Tuesday of every month at rotating Village Halls.

Tower Lakes is a member of the Illinois Municipal League, the Lake County Municipal League and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. These organizations provide a lobbying voice for Illinois municipalities on legislative issues and provide services and programs to share best practices and promote competence in municipal government administration.

Tower Lakes contributes to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).  The CMAP is an intergovernmental commission which conducts regional planning for the seven county Chicago metropolitan area. Their scope includes issues such as housing, transportation, environmental preservation, sustainable growth, responsible development, water resources and flood control. CMAP was formed in 2006, through the merger of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) with the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) to form a new agency in order to better integrate planning for transportation and land use in the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will.  More info, including the current regional framework plan, is available at the sites linked here.

TOWNSHIP

Tower Lakes is located within Cuba Township, a rectangular district in the Southwest corner of Lake County which contains most of the Villages of Lake Barrington, Tower Lakes and North Barrington, plus the northern part of Barrington Hills, and the northern half of the Village of Barrington (north of Main St.). The boundaries are Lake-Cook Rd (Main St) on the south, Ridge Rd and the McHenry County line on the west, roughly Timber Lake and Roberts Rd on the north and roughly Lake Louise, Rainbow Rd and Rand Rd on the east.  The Township responsibilities include property assessment, township road maintenance and voter registration.  The main office is at 28000 W. Cuba Rd. in Barrington, just south of Northwest Highway.

COUNTY

Tower Lakes is one of 52 cities and villages in Lake County, Illinois, the northeastern-most county in the state.  The county seat is Waukegan. The county government provides a wide array of services, most of which can be accessed  at the Lake County government website. A Board of Supervisors, elected from 23 districts, oversees the county government.  Tower Lakes is in County Board District #17.

STATE

Tower Lakes is in the 26th Illinois Senate District. Most of Tower Lakes is in the 51st Illinois Representative District until the end of 2012.  Two blocks in the North Lake subdivision – East of Bays Place, West of Tomahawk Lane and North of Circle Drive – are in the 52nd Illinois Representative District. Click here for your State Senator or State Representative.  Click here for other Illinois State Agencies.

FEDERAL

Tower Lakes is in the 6th US Congressional District. Sean Casten (D) is our Congressman.  Richard Durbin (D) and Tammy Duckworth (D) are our Illinois’ US Senators.

VOTING

US citizens who are at least 18 years of age may register to vote up to 30 days prior to an election. Two forms of ID are required, one of which must indicate address. You may register to vote at various places, including the Cuba Township office, 28000 W. Cuba Rd, Barrington, (847) 381-1924.

Tower Lakes is in Cuba Township Precinct 66. The polling place for our precinct is at the Lake Barrington Village Hall at 23860 Old Barrington Rd, near Kelsey Rd.