Some municipalities have been hoping to make changes to their clerks’ offices. City of Sandwich recently discussed an alderman’s idea for strengthening the independence of the office of its elected city clerk by eliminating a potential conflict of interest. Sandwich didn’t change anything this time around, but the idea is now out there for people…
Tag: city clerk restoration
Taking away the city clerk’s role in checks and balances
Jumping off my last post and recent discussion of it, I want to share a little more of the context in which I currently attempt to function as city clerk in DeKalb. This time last year, I signed and sealed some contracts and all plats, ordinances, resolutions, and licenses. Hundreds of documents crossed my desk…
Clerking and blogging
On Monday, unlikely as it may sound, DeKalb city council might vote to appoint me to the office of city clerk. No matter how it turns out, the fact remains that Mayor Jerry Smith has placed under consideration a person who can be a vocal critic of this administration. That takes a bit of nerve.…
Letter from Clerk Liz Peerboom on the State of the DeKalb City Clerk’s Office: ‘This is Your City. Take it Back’
Here’s a letter to the editor from Liz Peerboom, whose career as a deputy clerk and city clerk in two communities spans nearly 20 years. Currently the clerk for the Village of Maple Park, Peerboom was awarded the title Rookie of the Year by the Municipal Clerks of Illinois in 2011, in part for implementing…
Petition to Restore the DeKalb City Clerk Now Available Online
If you haven’t had a chance to sign the paper version, here’s another option. PETITION TO RESTORE THE OFFICE OF DEKALB CITY CLERK | Online Petition You are welcome to stop by at the Facebook Group, too. We have an event coming up Sunday. To communicate privately, email us at info@fixtheclerk.org Hit the “city clerk…
Illinois Statutes Versus DeKalb Municipal Code in the Matter of the City Clerk
Just yesterday, we were comparing the positions of city clerk as practiced in Sycamore and DeKalb. You can see from that post that Sycamore and DeKalb treat their city clerks very differently, though this was not true in the past. To continue the comparison: Sycamore’s municipal code follows the applicable Illinois statutes, while DeKalb’s differs…
Sycamore Versus DeKalb: Comparison of City Clerks
Once upon a time, City of Sycamore and City of DeKalb had duly elected, full-time city clerks. Sycamore still has one. DeKalb’s, however, was destroyed in 2013. Low compensation and transfer of powers to the city manager’s office have deprived us of elected clerks and clerk candidates ever since. Whatever the city thought it was…
No, Daily Chronicle. The DeKalb City Clerk has Not Received a Raise
The compensation ordinance that will apply to our next city clerk has NOT received final approval. So there is no, or at least not yet, a “hefty raise” for the clerk as claimed by the newspaper today. It was only first reading. They only reveal this fact in the final sentence of the article. The…
Council on Track to Deprive Us of Another Election
On Monday, the city council discussed the compensation ordinance that will go into effect upon installation of the city’s elected officers in May. This was just the first reading. Passage is expected during the regular council meeting on October 25. Council at this point is on track to continue to deprive us of another election…
DeKalb Council Will Discuss Compensation of Elected Officials Tonight
No closer than 180 days before newly-elected city officials take office next May, the city council must, per state law, set compensation for them via ordinances. This could happen tonight, at the next regular meeting, or possibly in early November if all else fails. Compensation is set now in order to help eliminate the conflict…