By the end of the Referendum Objection Hearing on Tuesday afternoon, the three-member Naperville Electoral Board unanimously had rejected objections filed by Paul Sjordal to the petition for a binding April referendum on keeping the at-large system for electing Naperville City Council members. The Naperville Electoral Board is comprised of Mayor A. George Pradel, Naperville City Clerk Pam LaFeber and most senior Naperville City Council member Douglas Krause with counsel provided by City Attorney Margo Ely.
Last week the objector withdrew his objections related to the validity and number of signatures on petitions gathered by Yes At Large for its proposed referendum question stating, “Shall the city of Naperville elect city council at large instead of part of the councilmen at large and part of the councilmen from districts?”
According to Rebecca Obarski, Co-Chairman of Yes At Large, on Tues., Jan. 29, the Electoral Board found that “the petitions are legally sufficient, the question is not confusing and that it substantially conforms to the Illinois Municipal Code.”
Sjordal’s attorney, Doug Ibendahl, has five days or until Monday to file an appeal.
Obarski said her group fully expected the objector to file an appeal all along.
“The objector’s attorney began setting the record for appeal on the very first day,” Obarski explained. “The appeal will be to the Circuit Court sitting in DuPage County. It must be filed within five days and then it will be heard as quickly as possible.”
Yes At Large petitioned the city in an effort to reverse the decision of a 2010 referendum that will put into place a new hybrid system of electing the nine city council members, including the mayor, beginning in 2015. At that time, five council members will be elected from five previously drawn districts and the other three and the mayor will be elected at-large.
The goal of the Yes At Large petitioners is to have the question placed on the April 9 ballot, giving voters an opportunity to reconsider the earlier vote after an educational campaign to enlighten citizens about the pros and cons. If the outcome changes, the Elect City Council At Large system of representation will remain in place under the Council-Manager form of government as provided by state law. Since 1969, Naperville has operated under the Council-Manager form of government.
Hearings are broadcast live on cable TV, archived for on-demand viewing online
All hearings with the Naperville Electoral Board were held in Council Chambers of the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.
The proceedings also were broadcast live on government access TV station WCNC (Ch. 6 – WOW, Ch. 10 – Comcast, Ch. 99 – AT&T) as well as streamed live and available for on-demand viewing on the City’s website at www.naperville.il.us/granicus.html.
(Note also that for the sake of transparency all workshops, city council meetings and other selected public meetings are available for viewing on demand via the City’s website.)
Now is the time for voting citizens to become educated about the process and the proposed ballot measure. All three of the unedited public hearings are posted in the City’s archive special meetings. To watch the hearing held on Jan. 25, visit the direct link at http://naperville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2. Friday’s hearing lasts about one hour and five minutes.
Tuesday’s 1-hour-and-24-minute hearing can be seen at on the City’s website.
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Other local daily papers such as the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald also have published stories about the Naperville Electoral Board Hearings. Thanks for reading and paying attention.