Proposal to let liquor licensees hold Geneva offices advances
Businesspeople who have Geneva liquor licenses may be able to run for city office in April, if the Geneva City Council goes through with a change to the city code.
Aldermen voted 6-4, at a committee meeting Monday, in favor of changing the liquor law that prohibits license-holders from holding office.
It plans to take a binding vote Dec. 5.
Craig Maladra, Dean Kilburg, Tara Burghart and Mike Bruno voted "no."
Kilburg tried to get the council to make any change effective in 2018, but was rebuffed.
He did not want the change to take effect during the current election cycle, to avoid looking like the council was jamming something through to favor someone.
Mayoral and aldermanic candidates are collecting signatures on their petitions now.
They must file them from Dec. 12-19 to get on the April ballot.
Alderman Don Cummings said the council ought to be enlarging the pool of candidates.
Bruno did not support it because of the "unique" situation it could put the council in, deciding things that affect a fellow alderman's livelihood.
The council approves liquor licenses, and creates categories of licenses.
The mayor is liquor commissioner, enforcing liquor laws.
Geneva's law is based on a previous state law.
The state changed its law in 2009, to allow aldermen and trustees in towns of 50,000 people or fewer to have liquor licenses.
Their business' primary focus must be food sales, and they are not allowed to discuss or vote on matters related to liquor licensing and enforcement.
The council last considered a change in 2012. It favored it in a straw poll, but then rejected the idea in November 2012.
The question came up then because the owner of Stockholm's Pub wanted to run for alderman, and was told that if he won election, he could not be seated.