What we need in DeKalb is a new political party

Last year I looked into the type of municipal elections we have here in City of DeKalb, and learned that we technically have partisan elections, though we do not actually exercise the right to have parties and primaries. The idea’s been stuck in the back of my mind ever since. Now I’ve written about it,…

Contributions to Mayor Rey’s Campaign

A few weeks ago I argued that City of DeKalb will continue to fail at solving its problems until we elect leaders who understand and value public ethics. The apparent intertwining of city business with Mayor Rey’s campaign business reinforces my position. January 9: DeKalb city council approves the hiring of a consultant to help…

Cindy and Ed Must Be Part of Voters’ Conversations about County Tax Referendum

***Note: This was originally published in June 2016. I am posting an updated version today, since the referendum ended up on the April 4, 2017 ballot instead of last November’s.*** The DeKalb County Health Department is trying to persuade our county board to place a referendum on the November election ballot to begin levying a…

This Election, Let’s Discuss Remedial Action for DeKalb

The Chronicle has published a letter to the editor that caught my eye. It’s about local candidates and their positions on the issues. The words that they use may change, but the rhetoric is the same. The writer goes on to list the same old, same old: DeKalb-NIU relations, easing of the tax burden, and…

Barb City Action Committee & TIF

There are honest people of good faith who belong to the Barb City Action Committee. There really are. However, it makes good sense to try to tease out the motives for any organized political action, especially one that launched itself out of nowhere and appears to have “shadow” members as well. Recently I donned my…

DeKalb Candidates’ Websites

Here are the websites I’ve collected so far for the candidates running for City of DeKalb offices and District 428 school board positions. Election Day is April 4 (not counting all of your early voting opportunities). DeKalb Mayor: Michael Embrey: Embrey for Mayor Misty Haji-Sheikh: Citizens for Misty Jerry Smith: Jerry for DeKalb DeKalb City…

What Kind of Municipal Elections Does City of DeKalb Have?

City of DeKalb candidates for municipal offices in the spring elections are not all using the same ballot petition forms. For example, of the four mayoral candidates, three of them are filing as “independents” and one of them filed a “nonpartisan” form. A similar pattern has occurred with the aldermanic candidates. There are differences. “Independent”…