2 Elmhurst Aldermen Reverse Course On Mayor's Powers

Elmhurst IL

22 November, 2021

11:48 AM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — Earlier in the fall, cracks emerged in the support for the Elmhurst mayor's temporary powers during the pandemic. But those cracks appear to have been sealed. The expanded authority started with Mayor Steve Morley at the beginning of the pandemic and then resumed with Mayor Scott Levin when he took office in May. As coronavirus cases plunged, the city let the mayor's temporary powers lapse during the summer. But the issue was brought back to the City Council with the latest surge. During a meeting in early September, Ward 6 Alderman Mike Honquest made it known that he was against bringing back the mayor's temporary powers. "I'm going to vote against this not because I have concerns about Mayor (Scott) Levin's leadership or in particular this ordinance, but in general, I'm at a point where I think we need to stop doing emergency power acts and mandates," Honquest said. "As an elected official, I think I speak for others — we're going to have to learn to live with COVID as we go forward." The council voted 9-2 for the powers, with Ward 3 Alderwoman Dannee Polomsky joining Honquest in opposition. They appeared to be picking up where Ward 3 Alderman Michael Bram left off when his term expired in May. For more than a year, Bram voted against the regular extensions granting the mayor expanded powers. He said any emergency measures could be handled as part of the council's regular procedures. He was alone in his dissents. Since September, Polomsky and Honquest appeared to have abandoned their position. They have voted for extensions of the mayor's temporary powers in later meetings. When Patch asked about this last week, Polomsky said in an email, "Only after the Council dropped emergency powers (while the State carried on) did I voice my opposition. I remain certain that the City does not need to operate with local emergency powers to conduct City business. My objective was — and is — to facilitate a change in how we operate." Polomsky, who endorsed Levin's candidacy for mayor, said she has discussed her perspective with the mayor, as have others. She said he has been "thoughtfully" considering. She recommended Patch contact Levin about his current thinking. Patch did, but was unable to get his comment. Honquest did not return a message for comment. In the first weeks of the pandemic in 2020, then-Mayor Steve Morley used his emergency powers in a few ways. He suspended delinquent charges and discontinuation of utility services. And he extended the payment of vehicle license fees for city stickers. Like other towns, Morley allowed for off-premises consumption of originally packaged beer, wine and liquor related to certain restaurant liquor licenses. Additionally, Morley suspended the issuance of solicitor permits and those that already existed.