[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6180150,"mediaKeyId","5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3","parentId",5120281,"title","City proposes reorganization: clerk, emergency management, sustainability office moved under mayor; aldermen request clarifications","audioSeconds",491,"startMs",4431000,"endMs",4922000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3&start=4431&end=4922","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3/thumbnail_4431000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6180150/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/City-proposes-reorganization-clerk-emergency-management-sustainability-office-moved-under-mayor-aldermen-request-clarifications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180150-e9b26630d80d0f8d0571a8fc491f6923/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189654&Signature=hfcNJ88ZMd-WSPNA60l0ihQTkcFcarcU4OzVLvyBZZDtjZ0i1xBYkuivH2nxCdcGCQd-c-v1y~c-x5-OiyDRm~gffepriDLP8Xwrdi2~QCIQvkf6AbUQH7EiaNJZSWGi8yuw-qkpFVIek-slKc0M5ilvJusN-FIuaG-WZYBrubuQssl1WKcdvdinZMNBE~omSNEKmXq4XygnRjWnQMOU2n7uvgMLmodL6NiMMRqdJC7ckWBuI-i7xjcqKugYxVVlfwTweHOyZPybIqShL8FnA-fZJLeR7n91Sby6ANmCNecbYnMzHg~9m6nj~-OJJf8dc7r4diE4xNfnrBScurcYaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Aurora, IL","date","2025-07-02T11:57:50Z","article","Mayor's staff presented an ordinance (25-0516) to reorganize parts of the city administration, including dissolving the mayor's Office of Community Affairs (MOCA), relocating several offices under the mayor's purview, and creating a new Office of Sustainability Development and Business Opportunity.

Deputy Chief of Staff Nicholas Richard Thompson gave the high-level overview, saying the changes would move the city clerk from the law department to report to the mayor, relocate emergency management to report to the mayor's office, and reconstitute the mayor's Office of Economic Development as the Office of Sustainability Development and Business Opportunity. Special events would be placed in communications and community engagement divisions; equity and engagement functions would report directly to the mayor.

Emergency management coordinator Natalie Weise described the operational rationale. \"Contemporary emergency management is rooted in a larger scope... We have 4 mission areas right now: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation,\" she said, and added that the emergency management director \"does answer for the primary elected official of that municipality\" under state law, arguing that reporting to the mayor would help the agency coordinate across departments.

Council members raised several concerns. Multiple aldermen asked for clearer wording on \"quasi departments\" and whether the office of the aldermen would be treated as reporting to the mayor under the proposed code language. Alderman Smith moved to hold the ordinance for two weeks to allow legal staff to refine the language and to provide more detail; Alderman Franco seconded the motion and the item was placed on unfinished business. Legal staff agreed to review the draft language and work with the mayor's office to address council concerns.

Aldermen also requested a complete organizational chart showing unchanged departments, an itemized list of any position eliminations or additions (staff said one director-level role would be changed but no layoffs were announced), and confirmation about job postings for the new director-level roles. The clerk said the office would centralize and digitize city contracts as part of the transition.

No ordinance was adopted; instead the council voted to hold the item and directed legal and mayoral staff to return with clarified language and additional documentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Streaming LIVE: Aurora Committee of the Whole | 07-01-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Mayor's staff proposed reorganizing the city's administrative structure, shifting the city clerk and emergency management to report to the mayor, dissolving the mayor's Office of Community Affairs, and creating an Office of Sustainability Development and Business Opportunity.","taxTitle","Aurora, DuPage County, Illinois","taxId",2648,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6180156,"Committee advances ordinance to change residency rule for department heads amid debate",110,2421000,2531000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3&start=2421&end=2531","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3/thumbnail_2421000.jpg","/articles/6180156/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/Committee-advances-ordinance-to-change-residency-rule-for-department-heads-amid-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180156-c543a2dea24789b4fdc03f1d2d4a3323/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189654&Signature=dLfwxGorn2K5S9I0G-Y4--24JFvUy0hz8ZPf4yZvOJ2taXqZtwKCSkId2-TwTWPolf9WC66ltM0lFb6zxWcKvnHYfEN~2CqJa2ov5pUIhTy-YGL~r637Y5dz19YOi6dNYJ8aW8c9QTF7QF8GGnn4RZDVU05riQvHqlCJNw6G8y3xBanXh4OLqOE38XeR9H2b1Rv8QY2aARWTzho8F-s3cDRPb5o~JEGflORVjaX7g8pM8uxwRyBdYNGjZSStDqyemVOiXBdUKEL46yWg6wQ1YB-vZYB4F~58O9QBqc7WII4PPE59SqZDdvc9cvVK6L6t5xkdkJJFMOw-c~5kCC5mDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rules Administration Procedures Committee forwarded a proposal to amend residency rules for city department heads, recommending the ordinance 3–1 and sending it to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration.

The measure, item 25-0468, would amend section 2-277(c) of the city code to align Aurora's residency requirement with wording in the state municipal code and give city leaders more flexibility in hiring. \"This aligns with the state's municipal code,\" Deputy Chief of Staff Nicholas Richard Thompson told the council, saying the change \"gives us the flexibility to make determinations based on a candidate's qualifications, character, and commitment, and not to be held back by a residency requirement.\"

Supporters said the change would help the city compete for candidates, particularly for licensed professions such as engineers and attorneys. Thompson and other staff noted examples from neighboring municipalities showing a range of residency and proximity rules.

Aldermen pressed for specifics about scope and enforcement. Alderman Smith said the state statute read in committee seemed to \"only took the attorney, the head of the legal department, and the head of engineering department out of that\" mandatory residency, and asked staff to clarify whether the proposed ordinance would remove residency for all department heads or only for certain licensed positions.

Council members requested a detailed list of which department heads would be exempted under the proposed language and asked HR to return comparative research on surrounding municipalities, including Kane County examples. Alderman Franco and others emphasized public-safety positions should remain subject to residency requirements, and Alderman Barreiro suggested a compromise that would require nonresidents who later sell their out-of-city home to relocate to Aurora if they wish to remain or advance into a department-head role.

The Rules committee reported a 3–1 recommendation in favor of sending the ordinance to the Committee of the Whole; the single dissenting vote in committee was Alderman Mesiakos. No final council vote on the ordinance was recorded at the meeting. Staff said the change would not automatically trigger new hires and that mayoral appointments still require advice and consent of the council.

Council members asked HR to provide a complete list of department-head positions, to identify which require professional licensure under the proposed language, and to return with more complete data on comparative residency policies and how the city would enforce any new requirement tied to selling a privately owned home.

No formal ordinance adoption occurred at the meeting; the item remains under review and will return to council for further consideration.","The Rules Administration Procedures Committee forwarded an ordinance with a 3–1 recommendation that would align Aurora's residency requirement for department heads with state municipal code language, prompting questions from aldermen about which positions would be affected and how the rule would be enforced.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6180146,"Residents urge Aurora leaders to act on immigrant safety, request know-your-rights training and noncooperation pledge with ICE",425,1377000,1802000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3&start=1377&end=1802","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5120281-c0a0060063c47cc89b742946adf341b3/thumbnail_1377000.jpg","/articles/6180146/Aurora/DuPage-County/Illinois/Residents-urge-Aurora-leaders-to-act-on-immigrant-safety-request-know-your-rights-training-and-noncooperation-pledge-with-ICE","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180146-6bcaa890892b560743ec37df3db28473/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189654&Signature=Es6bMrx5Seu1RdM6VFLU52YXnBUV7QApmvnu0niYdGxgUHxeeKF0~mQRtKv58XisjTojEiW78VikncpC9ToxOKxMY3Dz~yO1foOoWOKT0q6D6m5rQ7QaR2q6tkY~UtT-YeiJUZx1KnHebb~96qBQcyKi2H-jEKG2LE3ViJZwQuQYFi-vFbLxgn3kHI3kzcjEAzVupIrzJzlemBsTuBU212ZdBIaYCU-tEIId5reIV0uUGw412hIPm9e6JVUspZNF66pjGVjbns~R5-mv8cCgs1BUSnEJx0d~unBOrRzi6q5ph03q7BKKpDheBdkpPN9XaT39tOvfXDBHfpJP3uZhWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Speakers at the public-comment portion urged Aurora officials to take concrete steps to protect immigrant residents and to move beyond ceremonial recognition.

\"Aurora cannot claim to be a proud city of immigrants while standing idle as those very immigrants are criminalized,\" said Dr. Sandy Gonzales Rivas of the Aurora Rapid Response Team, recounting an ICE detention the team responded to and asking council members to support community-led protections. She asked that all aldermen receive \"know your rights\" training provided by the Rapid Response Team and that the city formally ensure local law enforcement does not collaborate with ICE beyond existing state mandates.

Cynthia Serna, identifying herself as a Ward 6 resident speaking on behalf of Sempronidos, pressed aldermen by name to do more. \"How is it that we have multiple Latino aldermen sitting on the city council, and yet virtually nothing is being done to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of Latino residents in this city,\" she said, arguing that families live in constant fear of detention and profiling.

Speakers requested specific policy steps: training for elected officials, a citywide affirmation that local law enforcement will not cooperate with ICE beyond the Trust Act's requirements, and accountability measures for any city official who violates noncooperation commitments. No formal response or policy action was announced during the meeting; the public-comment rules read at the start of the session prevent council members from engaging directly with speakers during the comment period.

The mayor's office later acknowledged the reports and noted staff would follow up with members of the public about concerns within the city's authority after adjournment, per the council's public-comment procedures.","Multiple residents urged the city to do more to protect immigrant residents, asking the council to require \"know your rights\" training for aldermen, clarify noncooperation between local law enforcement and ICE, and hold officials accountable for violations. Speakers cited recent detentions and urged policy, not just ceremonial support.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City proposes reorganization: clerk, emergency management, sustainability office moved under mayor; aldermen request clarifications

Committee advances ordinance to change residency rule for department heads amid debate

Residents urge Aurora leaders to act on immigrant safety, request know-your-rights training and noncooperation pledge with ICE