Troy Times Tribune · Oct. 15, 2026 · Randy Pierce
Madison County’s Nov. 3 ballot includes an advisory question asking whether the Illinois General Assembly should restore zoning control of wind and solar farm developments to local governments. Elected officials added it after a proliferation of solar permit requests across the county drew objections from nearby residents; the county has had no wind farm applications.
The County Board postponed its decision on a special-use permit for a solar project on about 41 acres of agriculturally zoned land at 1471 Springvalley Road in Jarvis Township, west of Troy, until its Oct. 21 meeting. The county Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously opposed the permit in August, and residents’ written objections in the board’s September packet ran more than 50 pages.
“The state has put us in a terrible spot between their requirements and our angry constituents.” (Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser, via Troy Times Tribune)
Summary by the Illinois Land and Farmland Preservation Coalition. More from our News page. See also: Lawsuits Tracker · County Fights