Lencioni wins St. Charles alderman race, but now he needs council's OK to be seated
Paul Lencioni persuaded 57% of St. Charles voters in the 3rd Ward to elect him alderman.
Now he needs to persuade the St. Charles city council to let him to serve.
Because a city ordinance prohibits residents with a liquor license from serving in an elected position, Lencioni - the president and CEO of Blue Goose Market in St. Charles and a liquor license holder - cannot be sworn in when new Mayor Lora Vitek and three other new aldermen are seated at the May 3 city council meeting.
Twice before, Lencioni tried unsuccessfully to sway the city council to change the ordinance. But now, with the backing of Tuesday's election results that saw him claim 361 votes to opponent Chuck Amenta's 240, Lencioni will try again.
"I'm glad we accomplished what we set out to accomplish, and that's getting to this step," he said. "A community is like a family, and the family has spoken."
The St. Charles city council meets once more, on April 19, before Vitek and the new aldermen are sworn in. Between now and then, Lencioni plans to contact current aldermen in an attempt to change the law that's in place to prevent conflicts of interest with the liquor-related matters that appear before the city council.
If the current city council chooses not to change the ordinance, the 3rd Ward seat would remain open.
Vitek, who has signaled support for revision, would be tasked with appointing a new alderman and the city council would need to approve her choice.
Before the seat is filled, Lencioni said, his goal would be for the new city council to change the ordinance and adhere to the state statute that allows elected officials to hold a liquor license.
Then, as the elected candidate in the 3rd Ward, he'd hope to be appointed alderman.
"More than happy, joyful or elated, I'm encouraged because it shows that we're on the right track and I'm not out on a limb with where I'm at," Lencioni said. "I've still got some work to do, but I've made a case. That's exciting to me."