Local Recall Law Needed

My name is Mark Batinick.  I am running for the 97th  State Representative District.  Over the next several weeks I will be writing a series of position papers.  Some topics include the need for term limits, property-tax relief, worker’s compensation reform, etc.  While these topics may be dry, they are important to what is facing our state today.  But my first article will be on the need for a mechanism to recall local officials.

In general, I have always been disappointed by the fact that the citizens of Illinois do not have the same rights as those in most states.  We often hear about citizen’s initiatives elsewhere.  They are rare here.  Without getting too boring, a very stringent interpretation of the state constitution by the State Supreme Court makes most issues impossible for citizens to get on the ballot.  That is why we do not vote directly on many issues in Illinois that citizens in other states do.

We also do not have recall rights.  We did not have the right to recall Blagojevich.  The recently passed amendment allows for a recall, however it requires the support of 20 State Representatives and 10 Senators.  Citizens cannot do it alone.  We currently do not have the ability to recall other statewide officers, state senators, or state representatives.  There also is no mechanism for citizens to recall local officials.  There needs to be.  These include village, library, township, school, fire, and park boards among others.

I would not expect a recall for local officials to be used often.  However, just the threat of one would likely be effective in creating better officials.  And it would be nice to have the ability to recall someone if necessary.  Most of these boards get little scrutiny.  Some of the terms are six years.  That’s a long time to wait to vote someone out.

An example of how successful direct citizen involvement can be is the recent actions in Wheatland Township. Township government offers a unique feature in Illinois.  With just a handful of signatures, citizens can demand a town meeting on a specific topic.  The board MUST follow the decision of the citizens at that meeting.  It was just a handful of active citizens in Wheatland Township that grew into a movement.  They stopped the construction of an unnecessary building.  Eventually a new board was elected.  They are in the process of consolidating five properties into one.  They are doing this without cutting services.  Because of their work, the line item for the Township Fund property tax will be $0 in 2014.

If elected, I will submit a bill giving citizens the right to recall local officials.