Politics & Government
Plainfield Park Board Elects New President, Votes to Support House Bill
The board voted 3-1 to support state legislation that will expand it from five to seven commissioners.
After a year that brought changes and upheaval, the Plainfield Park District Board of Commissioners got a new president Wednesday night.
Mary Kay Ludemann, who was elected to the board in 2009, is the new president. She succeeds Peter Hurtado, who was not at the meeting.
Meanwhile, Janet Silosky, who was elected in 2013, remains vice president.
Both board officers were elected in a 3-1 vote, with only commissioner Peter Steinys voting no.
"Mary deserves the position," commissioner Larry Newton said Wednesday night. "She's qualified to represent us well and has shown to be reasonable and on the right side of the issues during the past year."
For her part, Ludemann said she's excited to be president and move forward with the park district.
"Hopefully this will be a good year," she said.
Also in a 3-1 vote, again with Steinys the lone opposition, the board voted to approve a resolution to officially support House Bill 5593.
The legislation, sponsored in the House by State Reps. Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) and in the Senate by Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood), would allow state legislators to appoint two new board members in an effort aimed to dilute the influence of the past board majority. After two years, the new members would be up for election.
Bill to expand board advances
The board once again tabled a resolution to make the change in-house by adding two new members in the April 2015 election. It's the second time the issue has been set aside.Ludemann said the decision was made to table the vote in light of the fact that HB5593 passed out of the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday in a 9-5 vote. The legislation will now go on for a full Senate vote. If it passes, it will head to Gov. Pat Quinn's desk to await his signature.
"We decided as a group to kind of wait and see," Ludemann said. "As a board we decided not to pass it until we know the status of the bill."
Earlier this week, Ludemann urged park district residents to support the bill by signing a witness slip before the executive committee hearing.
Last month, the bill passed the House with 100 yes votes, 12 nos and 2 "present" votes.
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