Here we go again!

Dear Editor,

As the Gipper would say, “Well here we go again.” 

After receiving several phone calls referring to a comment in the local reader’s column over the last two editions regarding the current Village Board seeking to extend their terms, I am compelled to do the Joe Friday thing and state, “The facts, just the facts.”

Like other topics within our Village the question of changing term limits comes up periodically and I guess it is that time again. It surfaced under Mayor Arrington and Mayor Millar’s administration, and has resurfaced again under the current administration. 

The triggering event that calls it forth usually is, and once again was, the requirement to publish the Wards 1, 2, and 3 Trustees positions coming up for election, in this case in March of 2017.

The current Trustees of Wards 1 and 3 whose positions are up for election in 2017 raised the issue of whether the Village would be better served by changing the term limits for the Mayor and Trustees from two years to four years. As noted earlier, this issue rises up periodically and in all honesty deserves to be seriously looked at regardless of who raises it. It is valid question to be raised for deliberation. 

The staggered elections for the Trustees would be held to, but instead of annual Trustee elections for two-year term elections it would be every two years and for four year terms, with the Mayor being elected every four years for a four year term.

However, even if term limits were extended they would not apply to the current seated Trustees or current Mayor. The earliest the extended terms would come into effect would be the 2018 elections.

But such changes cannot be made without having public hearings with you, the voters. So when people start calling for petitions, etc., based a snippet of a discussion it just starts another round of unneeded strife in the Village. I do note, however, that unless written by a Board member, the Mayor or the Clerk Treasurer, the comment was obviously written by someone who never attended the meeting when the question was raised for debate as there were only two public persons in attendance at the meeting: a local reporter and the newly elected Village Historian who I can guarantee did not write the comment. 

Once again, I remind us that a reporter cannot and usually does not report a full comment verbatim but usually captures a headline statement that sets forth the gist of the subject being discussed. So instead of grasping onto a snippet of a comment it is prudent to check for the full statement before jumping to conclusions. 

But the heart of the issue, as noted earlier, is that it was prudent and with sincere concern in asking “would it better serve the Village” if the terms were extended! I would argue that the answer is yes!  It gives more of a chance of Board continuity and chance for success in getting projects and issues to full resolution for the Village. 

Currently our election process often changes out the Trustees by 50 percent annually and the Mayor bi-annually. This means by the time the newly elected Trustees or mayor gets their bearings, there is a lack of cohesive continuity not only on the legal requirements of their positions but also the projects or issues that they are to consider and determine. That means that often a Board just starts to function as a cohesive Board when 50 percent of them are changed out and the cycle of newly elected officials coming up to speed begins anew, and with it the delays that are inherent to the current system.

To the issue of doing away with the Wards and just making all Trustee seats “open”, I do not support this as I believe it has potential to become even more of one section of the Village dominating the entire Village. I prefer that each Ward have the ability to offer up and support their candidate to represent them. 

The last time the issue of doing away with the Wards was raised I asked many in my Ward (2) their opinions on it. The general response was “no – what makes you thinks that those in another Ward would care about us out here on the fringes?” I happen to agree with that sentiment and have publicly stated so in our Board meeting.  

I support extending term limits but not doing away with the Wards. 

I encourage all to come to your Village Board meetings and maybe it will not be “Well here we go again.”

Sincerely,

Earl Hartman

Trustee Ward 2