The Yorkville City Council is looking at the feasibility of increasing the number of aldermen due to the village’s population growth.
The 2020 U.S. Census numbers show a 27% population increase in Yorkville from 16,921 residents in 2010 to 21,533 in 2020
It’s possible the city’s four wards will have to be redistricted whether additional council members are added or not, city officials said.
The city currently has eight aldermen – two aldermen are elected in alternating municipal election years in each of the city’s four wards.
“We can stick with four wards and eight aldermen, we can go to five wards and 10 aldermen or seven wards and 14 aldermen,” Mayor John Purcell told members of the City Council.
City staff was seeking direction from aldermen on how to proceed on the issue.
Purcell encouraged discussion among aldermen about the matter.
“Keep it the way it is,” Ald. Joe Plocher said. Ald. Ken Koch and Ald. Seaver Tarulis agreed.
Ald. Chris Funkhouser said he’s inclined to support five wards and 10 aldermen.
“It would provide the city with decent representation,” Funkhouser said, due to the increase in population. “Either way we are going to have to redistrict.”
Others supported keeping the City Council at four wards or increasing it to five wards to better serve the community. Aldermen ruled out the idea of seven wards and 14 aldermen. Beyond 10 aldermen might make it difficult to find candidates to fill seats, they said.
The 2020 decennial census results have certified the current population of Yorkville at 21,533, Yorkville City Administrator Bart Olson said.
With the increase of population, Illinois Municipal Code pushes the default number of aldermen to 14 in seven wards, officials said.
The city does have flexibility to accept the default of 14 aldermen and seven wards or ratchet the count down one level to 10 aldermen and five wards or keep the current eight aldermen and four wards. The passage of ordinances would be required for the latter two options, Olson said.
The city might have to redistrict its wards even if the City Council wants things to remain as they are now, Olson said.
However, the city will need access to block-by-block census data in order to determine whether the wards need to be redistricted, he said. The data will not be available for a few months.
Aldermen said they like the idea of getting the public’s input on increasing the size of the City Council.
“I would like to get the public involved. Essentially it effects them the most,” Ald. Dan Transier said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
