Editor's Note: The following information was provided by DuPage County officials.
DuPage County voters will be asked this November whether one elected official should be permitted to hold more than one elected office at the same time.
The DuPage County Board Tuesday approved an advisory referendum question that will appear on the November general election ballot asking voters: “Should Illinois law permit an individual to hold two or more public elected offices simultaneously?”
DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin sought the referendum question in order to gauge the public’s sentiment on the issue. Two sitting DuPage mayors are running for election to the DuPage County Board this fall, Elmhurst Mayor Pete DiCianni and Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso. For months, both have indicated that they wanted to remain mayor of their respective town, but that he would resign the mayor's seat if elected to the County Board.
“We face serious and time-consuming challenges here at the county that demands the undivided focus and commitment of each County Board member,” Cronin said. “Holding two elected offices at the same time simply does not allow for the level of attention needed to fully and impartially serve the taxpayers of DuPage County. I believe our voters will send a clear message that one elected office per person is enough.”
The non-binding advisory question will now be submitted to the DuPage County Election Commission.
Last January, Cronin from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin as to whether a County Board member is statutorily able to hold another elected office. In his opinion, Berlin stated that DuPage County Board members should not hold elected office with another governmental body that has contractual obligations with the county.
Chairman Cronin, you appointed Downers Grove Mayor Ron Sandack to your State Senate seat he refused to resign being mayor, yet you did nothing and said nothing. You could have made it a condition of getting the State Senate seat, but you did not. Here you are on your high horse again insisting other do what you did not do, that others must do the right thing when you give HUGE passes to your flunkies. And Appointed State Senator Sandack, how will you try and avoid talking about this one? Another black eye, another smudge on you already ethically challenged political career. All these politicians talk a good game about what others have to do and how others are the bad guys, but conveniently let their cronies and hacks do the very same things. I read in the Tribune suburban corruption is just as bad as in Chicago. NO KIDDING!
There is no such thing anymore of governing "for the people", "by the people" or "of the people". Until politicians are no longer guaranteed "free" income, healthcare and other perks for the rest of their lives and have to live within the same means the rest of "the people" do things will never change. Once they get elected no matter how bad a job they are doing in congress or the house of representatives, it is almost impossible to get them out. We need to take back our government, set term limits and require our representatives to govern for the rights and good of all of us fairly and impartially, not just the ones that have the money to lobby their own interests. Democrat, Republican, it doesn't matter, they should be working together to get this country back on its feet and where it belongs and start putting "politics" aside. I think our founding fathers would be very disappointed in the direction this country has taken. If we want to be The Greatest Country in the Free World, we must clean our own house in order to Stand Tall and gain the respect of the rest of the world again.
We need better Commissioners and cut their salaries in half! Also if they don’t show up like frequently absent Joe Cantore from District 2 they should not get paid.