By: Diane Benjamin
When Judge Kording announced the Town of Normal was an “incorporated town” he also stated he knew this ruling would have consequences. It does!
Keep in mind the ONLY reason Normal now has a problem is because the elites didn’t want voters to decide if they wanted Trustees elected by districts instead of At-Large. The Town of Normal elites didn’t trust voters to make decisions for themselves. Instead they used taxpayer paid staff to deny voters the right to have an opinion.
Now Normal has to live with the consequences to their actions:
(65 ILCS 5/3.1-25-95) (from Ch. 24, par. 3.1-25-95) Sec. 3.1-25-95. Incorporated town officers. For the general municipal election to be held in the year 1985 in every incorporated town with a population of 25,000 or more by the last official census, and every 4 years thereafter, the municipal clerk shall certify the names of the candidates to the proper election authority as provided by the general election law. A president, a clerk, an assessor, a collector, and a supervisor shall be elected for a term of 4 years and until their successors are elected and have qualified.
The Illinois Municipal Code is quite clear: https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=802&SeqStart=37500000&SeqEnd=39400000
SHALL
“Elect a president, a clerk, an assessor, a collector, and a supervisor”
It doesn’t say “if you want to” – it says shall.
Is Normal following the law? Pam Reece claimed Normal is operating legally at last night’s Council meeting: (35 seconds)
Obviously Normal is not following the law!
Stan Nord started this discussion during Trustee comments:
Chris Koos didn’t want to discuss this either. He wants Nord to meet with Reece and attorney Brian Day.
The rest of the Council isn’t concerned?
The law says 1985!
Normal acts like a VILLAGE and could have stayed a VILLAGE. They didn’t want to so now they can’t!
This isn’t the first time Pam Reece has been wrong about acting legally. See the video in this story: https://blnnews.com/2021/03/19/tired-of-being-lied-to-in-normal/
The Attorney General forced Normal to change their Public Comment policy more than once. Reece was wrong then and will be proven wrong again.
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Officials in Normal believe they are above laws that governs others. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I believe history will validate Mr Nord, sadly taxpayers will be the ones required to pay. Elected officials seem to pay little attention to their oath of office. Sadly it is becoming necessary for good citizens to $upport court action to redirect our government into the bonds of our Constitution. Our founders wisely composed this document to restrain
I would encourage you to study our Constitution. The Tenth amendment is clearly written, and needs to be upheld by our citizens. Our Constitution is a wonderful gift for all Americans. As Franklin said ‘ A republic, if you can keep it”
37 Years of Illegality.
Sadly Illinois has not and does not have an Attorney General that enforces the laws; sadly Judge Kording along with too many more refuse to follow the laws and constitution.
Vote Devore
If Normal loses councilman Nord, it will be a great loss for citizens. I am destressed by how the bobbleheads denigrate Mr Nord. A large majority of Normal voters chose him as their representative. Toxicity in politics will sadly result in lower quality of representatives for America. When a representative fights for good, citizens need to support them.
I don’t know if Stan will be running for re-election. Regardless, there are similar-minded people who are running or thinking about it, They need your support – obviously your vote, but anything more you can do is also needed. Yard signs, promoting them and ‘getting out the vote’ among people you associate with, petition signing or circulating, other volunteer opportunities, and unfortunately money. The last town election was a sweep for the incumbents in no small part due to special interests like the Realtors spending tens of thousands of dollars to keep their friends in charge of distributing your tax money.
There are constitutional concerns that need answered.
1.) Voter Disenfranchisement – Have citizens been denied their right to vote for these possibly missing elected officials for decades?
2.) Equal Protection Under the Law – Why are Normal citizens denied the same elected representative positions that other “incorporated towns” in Illinois are afforded?
3.) Due Process – Have citizens been denied proper due process by the non-elected Town Manager choosing who holds these elected positions and does their non-elected work product violate due process rights?
Normal officials were warned that there would be consequences for radically declaring they are an “incorporated town” after operating as a village for so long. Unfortunately this is the route Koos, Day, McCarthy, Huonker, and Reece led us because they did not want voters to see the districting question on the ballot.
My oath to support the Constitutions and laws obligates me to ensure these questions are answered with certainty beyond the Town’s typical response of “Trust us” without providing proof. I only wish more Trustees cared.
Thank you Mr. Nord for standing up for the citizens of Normal. It is appreciated by most. You take the hits like a champ.
Thank you Diane for keeping some focus on this story. Normal can’t have it both ways. Either we get the ballot referendum or the elected positions that we should have if we are an incorporated town.
Not sure where this goes next but this is not good so far.