Madison County Board does not move forward with advisory referendum on cutting board size
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Summary
A presented resolution to ask voters whether to reduce the County Board from 29 members after the 2020 census did not receive a motion and therefore was not placed on the April 6, 2021 ballot; board members debated procedure and whether to draft a plan instead. The board recessed to Jan. 20, 2021.
MADISON COUNTY, Ill. — The Madison County Board on Jan. 19 heard a resolution to submit an advisory referendum asking whether the county should reduce its 29-member board after the 2020 decennial census, but members did not move to place the question on the April 6, 2021 ballot.
The resolution, read by board staff and citing 55 ILCS 5/2-3002(b) and 10 ILCS 5/28-2(c), would have directed the County Clerk to certify the following advisory question to voters: "SHALL THE NUMBER OF COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS BE REDUCED FROM THE CURRENT 29 MEMBERS FOLLOWING THE 2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS?" The resolution specified submission at the Consolidated General Election on April 6, 2021.
"I think that the question that would go on the ballot is that should we reduce the number of county board districts. I think that we all know that the voters will overwhelmingly say yes," said Mr. Madison, a County Board member, who urged postponing the ballot placement in favor of drafting a concrete plan. He told colleagues he was "willing to help put a plan together to do this and to bypass this process completely and just do it instead of waiting for it to go on the ballot."
Chairman Kurt Prenzler said a motion to table the resolution was out of order and that Jan. 19 was the last day to submit questions for the April 6 ballot. "Your motion to table is out of order," Prenzler said, adding that "this is the last day to put it on the April 6th ballot." When County Board member Harriss asked if she could "make a motion to have discussion," Prenzler replied that a motion to place the resolution before the board must come first and, in its absence, the item would fail.
Ms. Mueller-Jones asked whether anyone was present from the State's Attorney's Office; Prenzler identified Andy Carruthers and John Hanson as present from that office.
No member moved to place the advisory question on the ballot during the session; Prenzler stated the measure would "die for lack of a motion." After the procedural exchange, Mr. Madison moved — and Mr. Malone seconded — a motion to recess the special session until Jan. 20, 2021. The motion carried and County Clerk Debra Ming-Mendoza attested to the recess.
Because the board did not make a motion to advance or adopt the resolution during the Jan. 19 special session, no formal vote on the advisory question was recorded. The board reconvened on Jan. 20 to continue consideration of outstanding business.