Rolling Meadows voters tighten term limits on aldermen

Rolling Meadows voters decided Tuesday to tighten term limits for aldermen in the city's seven wards.

The binding question - favored by more than three-quarters of voters - makes limits for city council members consistent with the mayor's position, which since 1995 has been capped at two consecutive 4-year terms. A ballot measure limited aldermen to three consecutive terms effective with the 1993 election.

With 17 of 18 precincts reporting, 2,082 votes were cast in favor of the term limits measure to 646 opposed, according to unofficial totals. Former Alderman Rob Banger Jr. tried to make the rules consistent in 2012, and then-Alderman Len Prejna tried again two years later, but neither had enough support from their council colleagues. Banger finally convinced enough aldermen last year to put the question on the ballot.

"A lot of people are just intimidated for running against somebody," Banger said at the time. "The more times a term would end with nobody in that seat, I think that would prompt a lot more people saying, 'Hey, I could at least fill that seat.'"

Opponents of term limits have argued there's a learning curve for newly elected officials, and voters can limit terms by voting incumbents out.

- Christopher Placek