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Referendum Information
Police Station Tours, Blog, Podcasts & More
Get a first-hand look at our existing Police Station by registering to take a public tour of the facility. Police Chief Eric Passarelli and staff will be your tour guides. If you cannot attend in person, take our virtual tour.
Our Referendum Review Blog and Let's Talk Geneva Podcast take deeper dives into the referendum to help residents make an informed decision on the March 17 ballot.
Have questions or want to learn more about the referendum? While our community open houses occurred last month, several members of the Geneva City Council are hosting referendum meetings:
- 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the Geneva History Museum, 113 S. Third St.
- Hosted by Ward 5 Alderpersons Jeff Palmquist & Mark Reinecke.
- 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15, at Five & Hoek Coffee, 416 W. State St.
- Informal coffee sessions (other topics welcome to be discussed) hosted by Ward 1 Alderpersons Anaïs Bowring & William Malecki
Residents can attend any of the referendum sessions even if they do not reside in the particular ward.
Finally, the City encourages you to review a number of online resources available on this web page's navigation menu.
Determining The Cost
A common question posed to the City centers around the cost difference between the $59.4 million referendum amount and other police facilities built in neighboring municipalities, most notably St. Charles.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, construction costs have increased significantly and continue to climb. The City has provided a comparison chart of the costs of newer police buildings.
St. Charles built its police station on the site of a former shopping center, which was already equipped with electric and water utilities. In Geneva, the necessary underground infrastructure does not currently exist at the South Street site. The City does not need to use money toward land acquisition since it already owns the property next to Public Works.
Finally, building code changes can affect construction codes with more stringent requirements. St. Charles, for example, built their station under 2015 codes while Geneva will be using 2021 codes or newer for a proposed facility.
Determine how the City's referendum will impact your property tax bill with our online calculator.
The Journey To Referendum
Being a historic community has its challenges, with some infrastructure dating back two centuries. In July 2025, the Geneva City Council approved our facilities master plan, which identifies significant needs related to aging infrastructure and space limitations.
With a limited budget, the City is unable to address these significant infrastructure challenges without additional funding.
Read about the journey to referendum and how a new police station would benefit the Geneva community.
The Need For A New Police Station
The two-story Geneva Police Station at 20 Police Plaza is a conglomeration of three buildings built in 1915, 1953 and 1987. The building has been home to the Fire Department, the Public Works Department, Tri-Com Central Dispatch, and now the Police and Finance departments.
Despite several sets of renovations in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and early 2000s, the existing facility (as demonstrated by a 2021 assessment report) does not meet current standards to provide high-level police services the community has come to expect and what is required under Illinois law.
Learn More About The Need For A New Police Station.