East Central Reporter

Once again, a resident in Rantoul, Illinois has initiated a petition for a referendum that could disrupt the current district-based system of electing village trustees. The petition, filed by Terry Workman, seeks to return to an at-large election system. This attempt mirrors a similar effort from two years ago which was unsuccessful in court.

In the previous instance, Workman attributed the legal expenses incurred by the village during court proceedings to the actions of Edgar County Watchdogs. In January 2023, objections to the referendum were heard by the Rantoul electoral board and subsequently dismissed, allowing the referendum to remain on the ballot. However, objectors appealed this decision to the Champaign County Circuit Court.

The court overturned the electoral board’s decision and removed the referendum from consideration. The judge stated that Workman's actions "inject exactly the sort of instability that the legislature sought to prevent when it imposed the four-year statutory period protecting the newly adopted form of government." The ruling emphasized that compliance with Section 3.1-25-75 of the Illinois Municipal Code is required before such a change can be proposed:

"Any municipality that has operated for more than 4 years under the provisions of Section 3.1-25-75 may abandon its method of electing trustees under that Section and elect its trustees under the provisions of Section 3.1-25-5 then applicable to villages, by proceeding under this Section."

There is anticipation that objections will once again be filed against these petitions. It is also expected that Workman might again attribute any legal fees incurred by the village to external parties rather than adhering to legal guidelines regarding timing.