WOODSTOCK – Municipal leaders imploring the McHenry County Board to enact a moratorium on electronic billboards are worried that a close vote in committee Thursday, and the debate before it, signals that such a temporary ban could be rejected.

The Planning and Development Committee voted, 3-2, to recommend a ban on approving requests to build electronic billboards until the county finalizes its unified development ordinance. Crystal Lake, Algonquin and
Lakewood asked for the moratorium out of frustration with proposed electronic billboards on unincorporated land near the municipalities. The county’s sign regulations are less stringent than the municipalities’.

The village of Lake in the Hills is considering joining the call for a ban.