As Aurora residents and representatives for city residents, we urge our neighbors and, constituents to consider the full impact of closing the Aurora Election Commission.
The referendum on the March 20 ballot asks, “Shall the City Election Law be Rejected?” A vote of yes, will result in a savings to the City and likely achieve efficiencies, long-term. This seems like a win, but it’s not that simple.
The Aurora city government has said that closing the commission is a way to lower taxes by saving the city $700,000 a year, $7 Million over 10 years. We understand why Aurora residents would want lower taxes. Lower city taxes, however, could mean an increase in Kane County taxes. So instead of lowering taxes the Aurora simply would shift the financial burden to Kane County.
Preparing for 2018, Kane County was faced with a budget gap of more than $5 Million. After requiring Kane County departments to make cuts, the County Board imposed an additional across-the-board spending cut of 3.6%. This action was at the expense of jobs and public safety concerns. There are no more cuts to be made without eliminating programs and services altogether.
In a February 12 communication asking residents to “Close the Commission,” Aurora mayor, Richard C. Irvin, reports that Kane County clerk, Jack Cunningham “… has said that if the Aurora Election Commission is dissolved, he will bring a permanent branch office to Aurora.” That would be great, but to date, clerk Cunningham has yet to go on record about the cost, location, or any other details about a branch office. The presence of an Aurora branch of the Clerk’s office is vital to maintaining current levels of voter access, for registering, and early voting.
Aurora residents need to know how Kane County will pay for an additional $700,000 annually.
This information should be coming from John Cunningham and Kane County Board chairman, Chris Lauzen, the latter who wants to eliminate the commission, but will never support increasing the Kane County tax levy.
Mayor Irvin said, “Eliminating the Aurora Election Commission is the best thing for Aurora and Aurorans.” This statement, mayor, may not prove true. One thing is for sure: The question of eliminating the Aurora Election Commission involves many units of government. Common courtesy and practice call for an inclusive and collaborative approach to coming up with an answer that considers everyone. Your Kane County Board representatives urge you to weigh all the facts before casting a vote against the Aurora Election Commission. The Kane County clerk can be reached at 630-232-5950.
—Kane County Board members: Myrna Molina, District 1; Theresa Barreiro, District 2; Don Ishmael, District 3; Angela C. Thomas, District 4; Brian W. Dahl, District 6; Monica Silva, District 7; and Barbara Hernandez, District 8.
