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Alderman moves to make police chief an elected post; board debates legality and eligibility, then enters executive session
Summary
An alderman moved to change the police chief from appointed to elected; board members discussed prior changes, an Attorney General opinion and eligibility questions for someone currently acting in the role; the transcript shows discussion but no final public vote, and the board later voted to enter executive session.
At the Nov. 21 meeting an alderman moved and a second was recorded to change the method of selecting the police chief from appointment to election.
Board members discussed the history of the position — noting it had moved between elected and appointed in past years — and cited an Attorney General opinion saying the board may change the method of selection. One staff member characterized the legal posture by saying the city previously received an attorney general's opinion that did not bar switching between appointed and elected methods.
Members also raised questions about eligibility, including whether an alderman or an acting chief could run for the office if the position were converted. During the floor discussion one member repeatedly said, 'He can't run,' indicating concern about perceived conflicts if a sitting alderman filled an executive role.
The transcript records the motion and subsequent discussion but does not record a final roll-call result on converting the chief to an elected position. Later in the meeting, members approved a motion to go into executive session.
What happens next: the board moved to executive session for further discussion; no public vote to finalize a change from appointment to election was recorded in the public portion of the transcript.
