No. Much of the City Council’s detailed work is already done in small committees of three or four aldermen before an issue reaches the full Council.
A seven-member Council would still have enough members to divide work among committees, study issues in detail, hear from residents and staff, and make informed decisions. The difference is that fewer aldermen would be involved in managing the same overall workload.
A smaller Council could also reduce duplication. Instead of fourteen aldermen each needing to be briefed, scheduled, and brought through the same decision-making process, seven could spend more of their time discussing the substance of an issue.
The proposal does not reduce Elmhurst’s seven wards or eliminate representation from any part of the City. Each ward would still elect an alderman. It would simply change the Council from two aldermen per ward to one.
Seven can do the work.
For more see How a Council of 7 Could Get Things Done.