Let the People Decide

The following letter appeared in the Daily Herald on September 16, 2014. Although the editors changed the title to: 'Arlington Heights Needs Term Limits' from 'Let the People Decide'.

To the editor: Twice Arlington Heights residents have met the legally required number of signatures to place a term limit question on the local ballot. And twice the term limit question was removed from the ballot, prior to the election, by the local Electoral Board; consisting of Village President Tom Hayes, Trustee Bert Rosenberg and Village Clerk Becky Hume.

Unfortunately the Electoral Board review process can be fraught with perfectly legal but ethically challenged conflicts of interests. For example how did the lone objector to this term limit petition, Mr. James L. Constantine, end up being represented by the same Rosemont law firm, Storino, Ramello and Durkin, that contributed to President Hayes' 2013 campaign? The same law firm that contributed to Arlene Mulder's campaign throughout her long, long tenure as Village President.  

 

Mr. Ken Menzel, General Counsel for the Illinois State Board of Elections, said 'this is why it is set up to go the circuit court if necessary'.

With conflicts of interest aside, it is still very clear that residents want to vote on term limits. If the Board wants to, it has the authority to draft an advisory referendum on term limits for the local ballot. But the Village Board is of the opinion, although no vote has ever been taken, that no term limit question is needed. As a result the will of our residents is again thwarted by the unofficial opinion of our elected representatives.

The two-term incumbent trustee Tom Glasgow, said we do not need term limits because residents can just use the 'ballot box' instead and turnover on the Village board is high. Yet between the five longest serving board members, at the end of their current terms, the cumulative time on the board will be 78 years; which is once again, why residents want to vote on term limits.