Joe McElroy of Naperville isn’t afraid to admit he was wrong.
He recently wrote, “As I write this, a new mayor and City Council for Naperville are being sworn in. They’re good people, but the amount of money now being spent in local elections is out of hand. One candidate raised approximately $100,000–huge by comparison to earlier campaigns–but his opponent raised more than twice that. City council candidates also spent huge sums, with most of the money coming from special interest groups, not average citizens.”
McElroy said less money probably would be spent if Naperville went to a district system. As this Chicago Tribune story shows, the issue has been kicking around a long time.
Former Councilman Joe McElroy of Naperville initially opposed the district system, which was approved by voters and then rescinded in a separate vote over several years a decade-plus ago.
But times have changed. A hybrid system, with representatives from five districts and three council members elected at large, could reduce the cost of getting elected and make it possible for average citizens to run for office in their hometown.
