Clarendon Hills voters are being asked to weigh in on a village issue that likely will have no real impact on residents of the village.
A Nov. 8 referendum is asking if the position of Village Clerk should be appointed, rather than elected, as is currently the case.
The decision of longtime clerk Dawn Tandle to not seek reelection in the April 2023 municipal election prompted discussion by staff and Village Board members, who decided to put the question to voters in a binding Nov. 8 referendum.
Village Manager Kevin Barr said it was uncertainty about who would replace Tandle if the position remains an elected one that prompted the idea of making the change.
“Dawn has done such a great job for so long, and we don’t know what would come next,” he said. “She has taken on a lot of responsibility with regular office hours, but we would have no control over any of that if there’s someone newly elected as clerk.”
The referendum question will ask voters, “Shall the Clerk of the Village of Clarendon Hills be appointed by the Village President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Trustees, rather than be elected?”
If a majority of voters support the change, the village president would make an appointment, subject to the advice and consent of the Village Board being given, as is the case with other appointments made by the Village President. If the referendum is successful, an ordinance amending the Village Code would be prepared to reflect the method of selection of the Village Clerk. An appointed Village Clerk might be someone already part of the village staff or someone new.
“I don’t consider the referendum to be an issue that will change voter turnout,” Village President Len Austin said.
He said village staff and officials determined that the duties of the Clerk could be absorbed by current staff members and/or minor contractual spending, a move anticipated to result in some savings.
Clarendon Hills currently employs an executive assistant who acts as a Deputy Clerk and fulfills some of the Clerk’s duties when the Clerk is absent, Austin said.
“Unlike other paid positions within the village, Illinois state statutes require a referendum be approved to allow for the position to be appointed and to distribute the statutory duties of the position among staff,” he said.
Tandle, who was appointed as village clerk in May 2022 to fill an unexpired term through May 2003, was elected to the position in 2003 and reelected in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. She said she believes making the village clerk appointed, rather than elected, is a good idea.
“I think appointing someone allows for the Village Board, with the advice of village staff, to select a person with the necessary skills and dedication for the position,” Tandle said. “It also provides for day-to-day accountability that the important duties are being fulfilled.”
In early 2019, the Village Board authorized a salary of $13,000 for the Village Clerk, with annual Consumer Price Index adjustments. That has led to a current salary of $14,291 for the part-time position.
“This was a notable increase, meant to compensate the current occupant of the position for her consistent quality efforts,” Village manager Kevin Barr said.
However, the consensus of the board was that if the Clerk is maintained as an elected position, the compensation should be reduced, something that could be done by ordinance, Barr said. If the Clerk becomes an appointed position with a successful referendum, compensation will be determined as part of the budget process.
Barr said the village has received some inquiries about the referendum, but he doesn’t have an opinion on expected voter turnout.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
More Top Picks Best Electric Guitars