Expanded early voting in Cook County for the upcoming primary election begins March 2, and voters in Niles will have a ballot question asking about term limits for elected village leaders.
“I am very pro term limits,” mayor George Alpogianis told Pioneer Press. “In government, politics, people become complacent. You always need fresh blood.”
The advisory referendum for Niles voters’ consideration in the March 17 election asks: “Shall the following term limits apply to all current and future elected officers in the Village of Niles, Cook County, Illinois? Prospectively, no person elected at the next Village election and all subsequent elections may serve more than five (5) full four (4)-year terms, or a maximum of twenty (20) years, in the same elected office.”
The question ended up on the ballot after a resident approached Alpogianis about the issue. The mayor, who is currently in his second term after being reelected last year and is a former two-term village trustee, said he answered the resident’s questions and helped guide him on the process, including circulating a petition to help get the referendum on the ballot.
Alpogianis said the resident – who could not be reached by Pioneer Press – expressed needing a notary to notarize the signed petition. So the mayor asked for the assistance of his mother, who is a notary. She ultimately notarized the petition, he said.
This is one of three referendum questions that will be on the Niles ballot. Voters will also be asked about continuing the town’s free bus service and allowing autonomous ride service, or self-driving taxis.
Village Clerk Denise McCreery confirmed to Pioneer Press that the current Niles ordinance on term limits allows two terms, or eight years, as mayor, and three terms, or 12 years, as trustee.
“I’m comfortable with the term limits in place,” Alpogianis said. “The way they are now, the board hasn’t tried to change things. But 14 years ago, people rumbled about the way they’re (the ordinances) written. We decided [at that time] to leave it alone.”
The last time term limits were an issue in Niles was during the 2012 election.
“In August 2012, I stated I was pro term limits and I still stand by that,” Alpogianis said. “I believe there should be two to three terms as mayor, three to four terms as a trustee — not combined of both offices.”
The proposed referendum would combine the time in the two offices and limit total service to 20 years.
Trustee Dean Strzelecki is in his third consecutive term as trustee, starting in the role in 2015 and not up for reelection until 2027.
“I’m pro term limit,” Strzelecki said. “When the village put the term limits in, I was the police chief. I’m for it.”
He went on to point out that the board recently lost two “good” trustees to term limits. For him, “it would have been nice … to have continuity of the board” – though he praised the work of new trustees Susan DeBartolo and Ajay Mody who were elected last year.
If voters do not approve the proposed referendum, Strzelecki would not be able to seek reelection as trustee but could run for mayor. He said he favors being able to run for another term as trustee, but either way he said he is undecided.
Under the current ordinance, Alpogianis is not able to seek a third term as mayor.
“We have a lot of great things going on in Niles and three years from now, I’ll see if I’m going to run again or run for trustee,” Alpogianis said. “It’s up to my family. It’s taking a toll on my family and the business.”
Alpogianis runs his family-owned business, Kappy’s American Grill, which is located in Morton Grove.
Since the March 17 question is an advisory referendum, it will be up to the Village Board to determine what steps to take next for term limits based on the outcome of the vote.
“It depends on yes/no votes and percentages,” the mayor said. “The board and I will have to decide.”
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.
