Why Reduce Elmhurst City Council to 7?
- One alderman per ward.
- Clearer accountability.
- More meaningful deliberation.
HOW 14 WORKS TODAY
14 ALDERMEN
Elected to represent seven wards.
4 SEPARATE
COMMITTEES
Meeting at the same time.
3 TO 4 ALDERMEN
Hear the details, discuss, and recommend action.
COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
The recommended action is sent to the full Council.
FULL COUNCIL
VOTE
All 14 aldermen vote on the action, often without further deliberation.
More elected aldermen do not necessarily mean more participation developing each decision.
With one Alderman representing each ward
EASIER TO FOLLOW
More Council discussions could take place together, rather than across four committee meetings held at the same time.
CLEAR WARD RESPONSIBILITY
One alderman per ward makes it clear who is responsible for neighborhood issues. Residents can see if their alderman is doing the job.
EACH WARD REPRESENTED
Every Elmhurst ward would still have its own elected alderman. The change removes the second alderman, not the ward’s representation.
SEVEN CAN DO THE WORK
Today, most of the detailed Council work is already done by committees of only 3 or 4 aldermen.