THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2008
Referendum To Decide On Staggered Terms
Park Ridge City Council on Monday, May 5 agreed to place a referendum on the November ballot regarding staggered terms, although current aldermen still have not worked out logistics of the change.
The referendum will simply read, "Shall the City of Park Ridge adopt a system of staggered terms for aldermen?" Ald. Frank Wsol (7th) tried to modify the referendum to start the system in 2009 rather than waiting until 2011. "If it's a good idea in 2011, it's a good idea in 2009," he said.
The same referendum question came before the council on Feb. 11. At that meeting, Wsol hoped to get information from the Illinois Attorney General regarding the legalities of beginning the staggered terms in 2009. City Attorney Everette Hill confirmed he has tried since then to obtain an answer. "We have not been able to get a written opinion from them on this matter," he explained on Monday.
However, the council needed to act to ensure the referendum appears on the ballot. Mayor Howard Frimark explained a ballot only has room for three questions and they are allocated by submission time. "We have to do it now to make sure we get a spot on the ballot in November," Frimark said.
The council agreed unanimously to place the referendum on the ballot. Hill explained with the wording, the council could decide later to begin the terms in 2011 or earlier based on the Attorney General's ruling. "I still believe we will get an Attorney General opinion on this," Hill said. "We can bring it back and discuss it again when we get that opinion."
If the public approves the referendum, at the next election, the aldermen from the even-numbered wards would be installed for two-year terms while the odd-numbered ward winners would receive four-year terms. Thereafter, all terms would again be for four years.
If the stagger begins in 2011, in 2013 three aldermen would face reelection and in 2015 four aldermen and the mayor would run. The same numbers of three and five would persist every two years going forward.