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The Herald & Review Archives
Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)
February 8, 2007
Section: News
Page: A3
Change Decatur has withdrawn petition
MIKE FRAZIER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR - The city’s electoral board is expected to make a ruling Friday on an objection filed to a petition that sought to change the city’s form of government. Change Decatur, a group spearheading the effort, wanted to allow voters to decide in April whether the city should be represented by an aldermanic form of government. A ruling would be largely procedural because Change Decatur has withdrawn the petitions it submitted. The group also announced the issue will not be on the ballot in April. Attorney Scott Rueter filed an objection to the petitions Monday on behalf of Carla Brinkoetter. The objection cited more than 500 invalid signatures found by the county clerk’s office. The three-member electoral board includes Mayor Paul Osborne, City Clerk Celeste Harris and Councilman Michael Carrigan, the senior member of the city council. The board will hold a hearing 2 p.m. Friday in Room 5C on the fifth floor of the Macon County Courts Facility, 253 E. Wood St., Decatur. Change Decatur needed to collect at least 1,553 signatures for voters to decide whether to carve the community into wards represented by aldermen. The city currently is served by council members who are elected at-large to represent the entire community. The group collected 1,806 signatures in a little more than a week, said organizer Brian Burcham. But 522 of the signatures are not valid, according to a review by the office of Macon County Clerk Steve Bean. Of the invalid signatures, 67 were from people who don’t live in city limits, Bean said. Another 272 signers were not registered to vote, and 154 were registered at an address other than where they lived. Bean said his office also ruled invalid several repeat signatures and 17 signatures that appeared to be signed by the same person. Change Decatur asked unsuccessfully last week that the city council adopt an ordinance that would allow voters to decide in April whether to abandon the current council-manager form of government and the previous commissioner form. Replacing the council-city manager form of government with an aldermanic and strong mayor system would make government more accountable to the people, proponents say. "This, I assure you: We’re definitely going to get on the ballot in the future," Burcham said earlier this week. Mike Frazier can be reached at mfrazier@herald-review.com or 421-7985.
Copyright, 2007, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL
