The Village Board is having ongoing discussions regarding how to proceed with the April 1, 2025 Term Limit referendum. The next Village Board discussion on the topic will take place on October 13, 2025.
Background
On December 30, 2024, a resident submitted petitions for a public question regarding the implementation of term limits for Village President, Village Clerk and Village Trustees. After submittal it was noted that the petition paperwork included references to both binding and advisory questions. These are two different types of questions, with different legal impacts. An advisory referendum has no legal effect, and a municipality would not be required to act on the result. A binding referendum has a legal effect, and an affirmative vote to a binding question would make the proposed change the law.
Village Clerk Jon Keller certified the question and submitted the required paperwork to the County Clerk. The County Clerk proceeded to place the question on the ballot as proceeded without a designation that the question is advisory or binding.
Clerk Certification Form (PDF): Document submitted by Village Clerk to County Clerk.
Page 1 of the Referendum Petition (PDF): Document submitted to the County Clerk as required. The petition document references the question as binding and advisory.
The following question was posed to voters on April 1, 2025:
- Shall the Village of River Forest, after the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election, enact term limits for the elected offices of Village President, Village Clerk, and the six (6) Village Trustees for no more than two (2) four-year (4-year) terms total as follows: for each of the three (3) Trustees beginning with the April 3, 2027 Consolidated Election, and for the Village President, Village Clerk, and three (3) Trustees starting with the April 6, 2029 Consolidated Election?
Certified Results
Cook County certfied the results as 1,222 voting Yes (52.51%) and 1,105 voting No (47.49%).
Village Board Discussion
On June 9, 2025, Village Board Trustees asked for information from the Village Attorney on how the Village Board should proceed following the election results. The Board provided direction to Village Attorney to research the topic and asked for discussion to take place at a future meeting.
The Village Board discussed term limits at the September 8 Village Board meeting. During the discussion, Trustees requested additional information from the Village Attorney. The discussion will continue at the October 13 Village Board meeting. Watch the September 8 discussion below: