Peorians may get a say in how it elects its own city council

About a month ago, I wrote about a change in Illinois law that would lessen the likelihood that municipalities would have to hold primary elections. I was critical, because it also increased the possibility that someone could get elected to the Peoria City Council without a majority of the votes.

As it turns out, because the City of Peoria has home rule powers, it's possible to retain the previous system by referendum. The Peoria City Council is likely to vote on whether or not to do just that at next week's meeting.

There is a concern among some on the council about the possibility someone can get elected with a plurality, rather than a majority, of the vote.

My theory is that incumbents benefit from having multiple challengers because it splits the "throw the bums out" vote. We could also see people getting into races specifically to do just that.

From the council packet:

PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

Last year the Legislature amended several statutes which address the question of when a primary is to be held in a nonpartisan municipal election. The change provides that offices are uncontested when not more than four persons to be nominated for each office have filed nominating papers. In other words, if two, three or four candidates file for mayor, there would be no primary. Only if a fifth person filed a petition or filed as a write-in candidate would a primary election take place. In the case of at-large councilpersons, only if twenty-one candidates filed would there be a primary election to reduce the field to twenty. As you are aware, prior to this change, which was effective November 9, 2007, there would have been primaries had more than two candidates filed for mayor and more than ten candidates filed for at-large council positions.

Article 7, Section 6(f) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970 provides in part as follows:

A home rule municipality shall have the power to provide for its officers, their manner of selection and terms of office only as approved by referendum or as otherwise provided by law.

This section of the Constitution means that the City could only change the aforementioned state statute by referendum. Should the Council desire, it could pass a resolution putting this “change” (back to the way it was last election) to a referendum. The Council must act at least sixty-five days before an election to put a question on the ballot. The last regular council meeting to place a question on the November 4th ballot is the August 26th council meeting.

The purpose of the change to the state statute was to save money. The Election Commission estimates that the cost of a city-wide primary is approximately $75,000.00.

I'm conducting an informal survey of council members. I suspect there's support for a referendum. I also suspect they would be swayed by what they hear from constituents.

Cross posted to Peoria Pundit.