The La Grange Citizens Council is expecting a surge of residents to apply for membership at its regular meeting Wednesday night as the group prepares to vet and endorse candidates seeking public election next April to seats on the boards of the village, park district and library.
Membership in the non-partisan, volunteer council, whose origin dates back to the the 1930s, could easily double if past election cycles are any indication, Katie Justak, the council's chairperson, said.
The council currently has nearly 30 members, she said. Nearly 60 residents participated in the 2008 endorsement caucus.
Visit the Citizens Council website for more information regarding membership requirements.
In order to cast votes in the caucus, members must have attended at least two prior meetings, according to the council's bylaws.
Thus, new members would have to attend both Wednesday's meeting and the group's regular meeting in October to be eligible to cast votes in the first round of endorsements, scheduled for November, Justak said.
A second round of endorsements will be made at the December meeting, she said.
No decisions have yet been made as to which candidates for public office will be vetted and voted on in November versus December, as candidates have until Oct. 13 to submit applications, Justak said.
A new council member conceivably could attend either the September or October regular meeting, and then attend the November caucus without voting rights, in order to take part in the December caucus, Justak said.
Current council members who have attended at least two meetings in the past year already are eligible to vote in the caucuses as long as they are not absent for more than two consecutive meetings, she said.
Even if the council's membership rises to the level reached in 2008, many vacancies would remain among its 88 seats.
Membership is proportioned among 11 districts across the village, with each district having eight seats.
Vacancies exist in all 11 districts, Justak said. Two districts—#2 and #10, in the far northeast and southeast corners of the village, respectively—currently have no representatives.
View a map of the Citizens Council districts.
Concerned by the fact that resident participation in the council typically falls off significantly between election cycles, Justak has been making an effort to expand its activities since becoming chairperson in 2009.
This past year, the council hosted presentations by officials from the village, park district and library in order to give members and other residents insights to those public entities.
Beginning with Wednesday night's meeting, the council will host the first in a series of forums on significant issues affecting village residents.
Tom Beyer, a La Grange native and attorney representing a group of residents opposing the park district's efforts to sell a portion of Gordon Park, will make a presentation and take questions.
Among other issues the council hopes to address at future meetings are the viability of village pension funds and a proposal to merge some public safety operations with La Grange Park and Western Springs.
Wednesday's council meeting will be held in the Village Hall auditorium, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
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