Dear Members:
With the April 9 Consolidated Elections in sight, it’s time once again for citizens across DuPage County to exercise one of their greatest rights as Americans by casting votes for their candidates of choice at the municipal, township, public school, park and library levels of local government.
Let’s hope that the apathy and low turnover typical of the voting public after a Presidential Election doesn’t occur. Last November, nearly 72% of the County’s 560,718 registered voters turned out at the polls, which was actually down from the more than 76% of 551,280 who voted in the 2008 Presidential Election. Note that the voting pool grew by some 9,500 in four years.
In the 2009 Consolidated Elections, less than 43% of Elmhurst’s 28,455 registered voters, or 12,055, cast a ballot—despite the incentive of a four-candidate mayoral race to elect a successor to a retiring four-term incumbent whose contested 2005 election drew out only 10,500 voters. Elmhurst’s last mayor needed votes from just 16.4% of registered voters to get elected.
How does that bode for 2013’s three-candidate race to replace that one-term mayor?
That lack of participation in the process of electing a mayor (or village president, in the case of other municipalities) has a trickle-down effect on all municipal offices and other property tax-based governmental bodies.
In 2009, turnout rate in four of Elmhurst’s six contested aldermanic races came in under 43% and trailed the percentage in the uncontested Ward 4, which led in registered voters (4,424) and votes-to-registered voters ratio (3-in-10). Ward 5 had the highest turnout rate (51.83%) and most votes (2,151), while Ward 3 trailed all in registered voters (3,457), turnout rate (35.12%) and votes (1,214).
Worse yet, those aldermanic numbers are even lower in the non-mayoral election year.
In 2011, only 23% of Elmhurst’s 28,760 registered voters cast a ballot, with uncontested races in Wards 2 and 5 factoring in. Still, voter turnout in the five contested races totaled just 25%, and the winning Ward 4 ration was at 1-in-10. Ward 1 led in turnout rate (27.9%) and Ward 6 led in votes (1,138).
So, if you are not content letting an engaged minority decide who will govern—your municipality, public schools, parks, library and such—then get out and vote on April 9. Early voting at Elmhurst City Hall (and other locations) begins on March 25 and runs through April 6.
To quote Will Bailey from the West Wing, “No matter who you vote for, make sure you vote!”
Mayoral Candidate Business Forum
Some 70 Chamber and Elmhurst City Centre members attended the March 20 Elmhurst Mayoral Business Forum to hear the three candidates—Aldermen Mark Mulliner (7th Ward), Steve Morley (6th Ward) and Diane Gutenkauf (1st Ward)—talk about important programs and issues related to business and economic development.
The forum can be viewed at elmhursttv.com and is airing through April 8 via Elmhurst Our Kind of Town on Channel 6 of Comcast and Channel 99 of AT&T U-verse.
Got It! in Elmhurst
In advance Monday night’s (April 1) Elmhurst City Council meeting, the Chamber has provided city officials with more than 100 pages of documents regarding to the planning and implementation of the “Got It! in Elmhurst” shop local informational campaign.
The City Council will be reviewing the proposed Fiscal Year 2013 Operating Budget, which includes $25,000 to fund Got It! initiatives through the end of the calendar year. Over two years, the campaign has spent less than $60,000 of its $75,000 budget.
The Chamber packet included a Campaign Timeline dating back to December of 2009, an Activity Review from 2011-2013, budgeting proposals and copies of display advertising and printed materials.
Funded by the City and managed by the Chamber, Got It! is an informational marketing campaign to better promote the economic benefits of residents shop local through image branding and education that complement and enhance the City’s “Explore Elmhurst” and “Think Local” strategies. The campaign seeks to position Elmhurst businesses first and foremost in the spending habits of residential consumers.
Since the Campaign kicked off in 2011, tax revenues from both retail sales and food and beverage sales have exceeded the City’s projections by more than $1.5 million, allowing the City to rebuild its cash reserves without the need to increase property taxes.
Happy Anniversary
Four members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in April, as follows: 30 years—Red Dragon Chinese Restaurant; 20 years—Feze Roofing; 10 years—ERC Delivery Service and 5 years—Kritter Kare.
New Members
The Chamber welcomed three members in March, as follows (in alphabetical order): ClaSha Fashion Art Gift Boutique, Men In Brotherhood and 95.9 The River/Next Media.
No Longer Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following seven members in March: Elmhurst Olive Oil Co., Embers Fire & Smoke, Lamerti Orthopedic and Hand Surgery, Pazzi di Pizza, TransNational Bankcard, US Bank and Val A Chicago.