Oglesby voters to decide on change in city government on April ballot

A proposed change to Oglesby’s city government was given the go-ahead Thursday to be on the April ballot after a referendum petition was determined to have met requirements.

During a hearing at the La Salle County Courthouse in Ottawa, Circuit Judge Jason A. Helland approved a petition that many Oglesby residents signed to seek a structural change in city government, opening the opportunity for the Oglesby City Council to hire a city manager to oversee its departments.

A question is set to appear on the April ballot asking voters if they support transitioning from the city’s current form of government – a commission form of government – to the new structure.

At Thursday’s hearing, Helland reviewed the proposal from Oglesby residents and determined that it met all the statutory requirements for the petition to be valid.

For example, one of the requirements was that the petition had to be signed by more than 10% of Oglesby residents who voted in its most recent election, and it had more than 1,000 signatures.

Helland strongly emphasized that the petitioner make sure the order of the court is properly filed with the county clerk in order to ensure it will be placed on the ballot.

If approved by voters next year, the move would alter how Oglesby’s government operates, including a change to roles of the mayor and council. The responsibilities of the city manager are held by Mayor Jason Curran and the four city commissioners by statute. City Council members, or commissioners, in the current form of government set policy and oversee departments. In a city manager form of government, the City Council would set policy and hire a city manager to oversee its departments.

Curran said this development will be discussed during one of the next Oglesby City Council meetings, although he wasn’t sure which one.

“It’s definitely going to be a topic of conversation at one of these next couple meetings,” Curran said. “As a council, we want to make people informed about what might be happening if it’s officially on the ballot”

The next two council meetings will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, and Monday, Jan. 6.