Wheeling voters reject appointing village clerk

Voters in Wheeling said they prefer the current way of picking their village clerk.

With all 19 precincts reporting, 2,467 voted to reject a referendum to make the clerk an appointed position.

Only 1,441 voters favored the proposed change.

The current village clerk, Elaine Simpson, was first elected village clerk in 1997.

On the village's website, she said, her political aspiration is to "continue being the Village Clerk. I enjoy doing what I am doing."

Her duties include preparing the meeting minutes, acting as the custodian of the village seal, placing advertisements or notices, and answering FOIA requests. She also serves as the local election official for all municipal elections.

If an appointed position had been approved, the change would have taken effect in the municipal elections in spring 2021.