February 20, 2018
Dear editor;
March 20 Aurora voters in Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties will see the question, “Shall the city election law be rejected?” on the ballot. This question pertains to the Aurora Election Commission, which was established by referendum in 1934 for the sole purpose of running elections for the city of Aurora.
I think we can all agree that Aurora has undergone substantial changes since 1934, and in that time the Aurora Election Commission has changed from a once important agency to an expensive and redundant layer of government.
The law that governs the Aurora Election Commission provides that county and local government fund it. Kane County has a statutory formula that limits their allocation, while the city government of Aurora pays the rest.
The Aurora Election Commission alone has cost the city government of Aurora an average of $700,000 per year over 10 years. That is nearly $1 Million per year alone for voting services.
That means all residents of Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties support the Aurora Election Commission through their property taxes. Aurora residents of these three counties are taxed twice for this one service.
Elimination of the commission will allow for increased services at a lower cost to residents. Because of this I ask that you join me in voting “yes” March 20 to “Shall the city election law be rejected?”
Sincerely,
Edwardo Espinal
Aurora
