Des Plaines keeping term limits

Des Plaines aldermen Monday night had no interest in asking voters to revisit the term limit issue they overwhelmingly approved a decade ago.

Aldermen voted 6-1 to uphold term limits for elected officials in Des Plaines, saying too many of their constituents opposed any effort to put it up for another vote. It was a symbolic gesture since officials have no power to overturn a voter-driven initiative like term limits. But they had considered putting the question on the Nov. 4 ballot.

They would have had to approve the measure by Monday to make the deadline for this fall's general election.

Only 7th Ward Alderman Don Smith dissented, saying it made no sense to take a council vote since only voters have power over term limits anyway.

Smith tried and failed Monday to get a different question on the Nov. 4 ballot that would ask voters to exempt the city clerk position from term limits. Longtime City Clerk Donna McAllister, whose job is elected and therefore also bound by the two-term rule, will have to step down in April.

Only Smith and 6th Ward Alderman Mark Walsten voted to put the question to voters, far short of a majority.

Smith sees the clerk's job as more administrative than policy-making, and some suburbs have changed their clerks from elected to appointed.

But Fifth Ward Alderman Carla Brookman, who first brought the term limit issue before the council to reconsider, said voters opted in 2000 to keep electing the clerk. "You would be ignoring the will of the voters (to put this back on the ballot)," she said.

Resident Carl Gulley helped push for the term limit referendum. He said Monday he intended the clerk to be included by the term limit law.

The issue has generated hours of emotional debate in recent weeks. Monday night's council meeting was no different.

"No one is indispensable, and the roof of City Hall did not (and) will not collapse," resident Dion Kendrick said.

Three aldermen could not run for re-election in 2007 because they had served two full 4-year terms since the limits took effect. Next spring, Mayor Tony Arredia, McAllister and four aldermen will also have to step down.