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The Herald & Review Archives
Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)
January 20, 2007
Section: News
Page: A1
With enough signatures voters would choose system of how city runs
Mike Frazier and Ron Ingram H&R Staff Writers
DECATUR — A petition drive is under way to change the form of Decatur’s city government. Keith Anderson, founder of Homework Hangout and a community activist, was discovered by the Herald & Review in the Macon County Clerk’s office in recent weeks researching what is required to abolish the current city manager form of government and replace it with a strong mayor and alderman system. Brian Burcham, vice president of All Service Contracting Corp., acknowledged Friday that a petition drive is under way. “I got this thing started,” Burcham said. “Keith Anderson is not spearheading this.” Organizers have been recruiting supporters and sympathizers in recent weeks. They are seeking to put two questions before voters at the April 17 municipal election. The first question will be: “Shall the city of Decatur retain the council-manager form of government?” Those wanting to change the form of government would have to vote “no.” The second question would ask if the city should adopt an aldermanic form of government. The city would be carved into eight wards, each represented by an alderman, and a mayor would be elected at large. If that proposition is approved, the present seven-member city council would be replaced by a nine-member body. Petitions to get the questions on the ballot must be filed by Jan. 29. “We’ve got just a little over 1,500 (signatures) to collect,” Burcham said. “We’ve had a tremendous response. I don’t think we’ll have a problem reaching that goal.” Council members currently are elected at large to represent the entire community. Supporters propose electing aldermen to represent specific regions of Decatur. Alderman and mayor posts likely would be full-time jobs. “I run a business, and I run this business full time,” Burcham said. “The city is big business, I don’t care how you cut it. You can’t run the city on a part-time basis.” Burcham said he is not disparaging the efforts of current council members and acknowledged he has never met City Manager Steve Garman. “I don’t have anything against him,” Burcham said. Burcham said he has traveled the country with his business and worked with many municipal leaders. Many of the communities that are growing and thriving have an aldermanic form of government, Burcham said. “I think it would be fantastic for Decatur, I really do,” Burcham said. He would like to hold town hall meetings to discuss an alderman form of government. Anderson directed inquiries on Friday to Burcham. The community activist said in a December interview that he believes the present form of government is not working. “I love every member of the city council,” Anderson said. “Their jobs are unfair to them. They work 40 or 50 hours a week, then have to run a city of 77,000, too. I love the city manager. He’s a great guy. It’s not the people I oppose, it’s the process.” A Web site called changedecatur.com has been launched in support of the effort to change Decatur’s form of city government. The Web site says the current city government seems unresponsive to community needs. Needs identified include leaf burning, tree debris cleanup after the ice storm, high taxes, poor schools, special interest projects, a city staff that is “combative” with builders and developers and a dramatic increase in the cost of city government. During the recent ice storm, residents should have been able to call someone in their neighborhood for help rather than trying to get a hold of AmerenIP or other utilities, Anderson said. The city manager’s position can’t serve the people, Anderson said. “The system we have now is arcane,” Anderson said. “There are a lot of us who care about this community. I care about the people in this community. Somebody has to step up for them.” Anderson said the problems encountered as a result of the recent ice storm may move a majority of residents to support the petition drive. He said beyond that, he is tired of hearing about the community’s negatives. “I hear there is nothing to do here,” he said. “Decatur has no leadership. We’re not growing. People are leaving here. I’m hearing this from whites and blacks and young, middle-aged and seniors. They’re not racial, gender or age problems. With a different form of government, it can’t get worse.” Burcham said the group continues to recruit supporters and sympathizers, but several seek to remain nameless. Allies include Steve Daniels, a Decatur businessman and founding member of Macon County Shared Vision, a group that promotes “growth-friendly” policies. Daniels said the Shared Vision group has not taken a stance on the issue. But petitions can be signed at Colonial Place on Illinois 48, a property owned by Daniels. Petitions also are being circulated among local labor unions. “I’m definitely supporting them getting their petitions done,” Daniels said. “People who want to have an active voice in local government have every right to have it. Daniels said a “substantial, meaningful debate” would be healthy for the community. “I do find the argument that an aldermanic system likely will result in better accountability and transparency, I find those arguments persuasive,” Daniels said. The city manager serves at the pleasure of the city council, and some residents question whether a city manager is adequately accountable to the people, Daniels said. Federal, state and county levels of government have district representation of voters, Daniels said. “The city of Decatur system does not do that,” Daniels said. “If our system is superior, why don’t all these others do that? There must be something to the idea that people with common areas and common interests should have representation.” Councilman Shad Edwards said he supports a citizen’s right to choose, even if that choice would abolish his position as a councilman. “If they can get it on the ballot, I say godspeed to them,” Edwards said. Growing communities such as Chicago, Champaign and Springfield have an alderman form of government, Edwards said. “The last time I checked, their population and business and economic development is still going up,” Edwards said. Some communities elect aldermen to represent a region but also elect some councilmen at large to represent the entire community, Edwards said. “A lot of people have a huge fear of the unknown,” Edwards said. “There are a lot of people who want to protect the little angle they have for themselves. You’ve got to give the community an option and let them decide. “If they sign the petitions and get it on the ballot, it will get voted up or down.” Told of the pending petition drives, Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus said in recent weeks that the city would have no comment. Past efforts to get a proposal for a change in the form of government on a municipal ballot have failed, either because the question was improperly worded or insufficient signatures were gathered on petitions. Anderson believes it will take at least 5,000 signatures on the petitions to make sure the effort can withstand a legal challenge. He said he is consulting an attorney about the legal issues. State law requires the first question be filed with the Macon County Circuit Court and the second with the city clerk. Macon County Clerk Steve Bean, the county’s chief election officer, said the signatures of at least 1,553 registered voters are required on petitions filed with the circuit court to get the first question on the April ballot. The total is 10 percent of the number of ballots cast in the last election for mayor, Bean said. Research is being done to determine the number of signatures needed on petitions for the second question. State law is not uniform on such matters, Bean said. “We’re still researching that ourselves,” Burcham said. Ron Ingram can be reached at ringram@herald-review.com or 421-7973.
Copyright, 2007, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL
