DeKalb County, Illinois

Minutes of the
Ad Hoc Rules Committee

March 30, 2011

AD HOC RULES COMMITTEE MINUTES  - DRAFT

All present.

3-30-2011

Other Members Present: Bob Brown, DeKalb, IL

Ken Andersen, Sycamore, IL

Jeff Whelan, DeKalb, IL

Larry Anderson, Sycamore, IL

Guests: Roger Craigmile, Malta, IL

Steve Kuhn, Sycamore, IL

Donna Brown, DeKalb, IL

Mel Hass, Shabbona, IL

Mark Pietrowski, Sycamore, IL

Staff: Ray Bockman, Sycamore, IL

J. Fullerton indicated that this meeting was initiated specifically to discuss a proposal to reduce the number of DeKalb County Board Members.  R. Oncken moved and P. Stoddard seconded the sole agenda item. The agenda was adopted unanimously.

Discussion

Committee Members shared the feedback that they had received from the community about the proposal. J. Fullerton shared the e-mail responses received from the prior week’s letter to the editor requesting feedback on the proposal to reduce Board Members. The majority of the e-mails were not in support of the plan.  She noted that in 1969 when the number of Board members was set based on the number of townships in the County, that 29 Board members were elected to represent residents.

R. Oncken discussed the potential savings from reducing the number of elected County Board Members and shared feedback from his constituents indicating a range of responses to the proposal indicating both support for the status quo and  adopting the change.  K. Andersen indicated that many of the individuals he had spoken with preferred the status quo. M. Allen indicated the same.

J. Whelan stated that constituents seemed interested in the cost savings, but would prefer that committees be combined and also that elections be non-partisan.  B. Brown expressed his preference for the current number of Board Members.

Constituents attending the meeting were then asked for their input. S. Kuhn stated that he didn’t believe that the savings was substantial and that the number of DeKalb County Board Members appeared consistent with other counties.  Further, he hypothesized that fewer representatives on the Board could consolidate power in one party. D. Brown also indicated her preference to maintain the Board’s current number fearing that representation would be diluted with fewer Board Members.  

M. Hass indicated that he felt constituents were better represented by having two members and if one member was unable to make it to a meeting, the other member could still go and represent the District.

M. Pietrowski commented that Kane County was also addressing the same issue and inquired about how the new district map would be drawn. L. Anderson replied that all precincts and districts could only vary in population by a slim percentage. Further, a bi-partisan committee had been appointed to draw the map.

Board Members discussed the benefits of 18 single-member districts as primarily having a smaller geographic area to represent and an increased capability to build relationships and community in a district that was more or less a couple neighborhoods large.

J. Hulseberg inquired if the financial savings was such that this reduction in Board Members would be of great benefit to the County.

K. Andersen indicated that though he was initially interested in reducing the number of Board Members, he no longer believed that this was the best option to pursue – the anticipated savings was not sufficient.

J. Fullerton stated that she believed the Committee had fleshed out the merits and drawbacks of the proposal and that the issue should be placed before the full Board for consideration. 

R. Oncken moved and P. Stoddard seconded a motion to move the question of whether or not the Board should adopt an 18 member single district plan to the full Board for consideration. The vote was 4-2 and passed. R. Oncken, J. Fullerton, P. Stoddard and J. Hulseberg voted aye and M. Allen and D. Tyson voted no.

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