Elgin wants students on its commissions

Elgin wants a fresh perspective on local government from its youths.

High school juniors and seniors interested in serving can apply at the start of the academic year to be selected for a one-year term on a few commissions - bicycle and pedestrian, cultural arts, human relations, image, sustainability - and the parks and recreation board.

The ultimate goal is to create an all-student commission to advise the city council. The idea came from Franklin Ramirez and Ann King, recent graduates of the Elgin Area Leadership Academy, city officials said.

"I think it's an excellent idea to get the youth involved, getting the young people involved in government," Councilman Corey Dixon said. "It widens their eyes and gives them the opportunity to have a first look to something they might want to get involved in later in life."

The students would not have voting rights at first, but that could change if the experiment goes well, City Manager Rick Kozal said.

Elgin has one nonvoting student representative on the cultural arts commission, Sarah Kaye, a junior at Larkin High School, who said she likes the idea of an all-student body.

"I think (serving) is really interesting because I get to know what happens in the community," Kaye said. "I can involve my school, or other people at my school, to take a part in the events and other things going on in Elgin."

The previous cultural arts student representative, Kira Fox, was appointed commissioner after she graduated high school.

"I think it's a really good idea, because you get a lot of fresh perspectives in," Fox said. "I'm really glad I did it. It gave me a lot more confidence, and it's really good for networking."

The new student representatives would be seated in the fall and would serve until the end of the 2017-18 school year. Once they are familiar with how the city works, they would help put together a plan for the new, all-student advisory commission, city officials said.

Councilman John Steffen said that's "a desirable goal."

"We just had a municipal election. Our turnout hovers around 12 (percent) or 13 percent, which is pretty pathetic," he said. "I think (the initiative) will give us an opportunity to get youth involved and get them understanding how representative government works, and get them hopefully turned into voters early."