A government body that has maintained roads in parts of Wilmette, Glencoe, and Northfield could be voted out of existence on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

That's when Northfield Township residents will face a binding referendum asking whether to eliminate the Northfield Township Road District as a separate taxing body. The question lands on the ballot as Highway Commissioner Michael Korman draws scrutiny from Township Supervisor Shiva Mohsenzadeh over his refusal to competitively bid contracts, including one for $25,000 in parking lot striping at a high school outside his jurisdiction.

The Glenbrook South contract

The sharpest example of the bidding dispute: Korman authorized a $25,000 contract for parking lot striping at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, with the work performed over Labor Day weekend 2025. The project was outside the road district's jurisdiction and lacked a required intergovernmental agreement with Glenbrook High School District 225. The Journal & Topics first reported the contract in December 2025.

Mohsenzadeh, who also serves as the road district's treasurer, confirmed the work fell outside the district's scope. The high school district is a separate government entity with its own taxing authority and budget.

She told the Chicago Tribune the board is "concerned by the (current) Highway Commissioner's absolute refusal to comply with basic competitive bidding procedures among other issues documented and raised."

Korman's $2 million pitch

Despite the controversy, Korman is pushing a $2 million infrastructure and stormwater program approved unanimously by the township board on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Half would go toward resurfacing roads, fixing drainage, and replacing signage on the township's flood-prone south side, where Korman said "five or six roads" are prioritized for urgent repair in the Northbrook West and Central Avenue areas. The other $1 million would modernize the district's operations facility at 237 Melvin Drive in Northbrook, including a roof replacement and electrical upgrades.

He says the spending won't cost taxpayers more. The district sits on nearly $9 million in reserves, and Korman told the Pioneer Press the upgrades can be funded under a 4.6% property tax levy reduction. He estimated the road district brings in about $4 million in revenue a year but has spent roughly half that on average over the past decade.

What abolition would mean

The road district maintains 23 miles of local roadways in unincorporated parts of the township. Northfield Township as a whole encompasses portions of Northfield, Wilmette, Glencoe, and Deerfield, as well as the majority of Northbrook and Glenview.

Under Illinois law, if voters approve abolition, the district ceases to exist 90 days after vote certification or when Korman's term expires, whichever is later. All assets, liabilities, and road maintenance duties would transfer to the township board of trustees.

Despite the bidding controversy, the board unanimously approved the road district's 2026-27 budget in June. A separate $3 million infrastructure project on the township's north side is already underway, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago has committed $53 million in regional flood mitigation efforts in coordination with the road district over the next three years, according to the Tribune.

The November 3, 2026, ballot will also include two non-binding referenda on the township food pantry's pre-packaged meals program and garbage and recycling services for unincorporated areas.