About Civic Betterment Committee

Mission Statement

The Civic Betterment Committee strives to promote community involvement in local elections and to foster a spirit of volunteerism and civic pride in the Village of Glen Ellyn (the “Village”).  To these ends, the Civic Betterment Committee shall provide a transparent, nonpartisan nominating process that is dedicated to finding and supporting high-quality nominees for key positions of local government in the Village.  A longstanding motto of the Civic Betterment Committee is “neighbors nominating neighbors.

current bylaws

HISTORY

The non-partisan Civic Betterment Party (CBP) was organized in 1931 in response to the financial burden placed on Village residents by an extraordinary concrete paving program in prior decades. The Party’s purpose was to seek candidates who would decrease the financial burdens upon residents, affect economies, decrease expenditures, and improve the Village’s business practices. According to N. P. “Bob” Luginbill, who wrote CBP’s history: “The fundamental principle of the Party was that the office would seek the candidate, not the candidate seek the office. This meant, too, that only one candidate would be slated for each office, thus eliminating the partisan contested aspects of the Village election.”

The Party was successful in electing an initial slate for Village President and three open Trustee positions and subsequently enjoyed wide support in the Village. It was loosely structured and maintained a low profile. The Party typically sought a lawyer, engineer or architect, accountant, businessperson, and financial professional to fill out the Village Board.

This informal quota system and lack of any contest for office ruled until 1970 when a study of the Civic Betterment Party was conducted by the Jaycees and the League of Women Voters, in cooperation with CBP. A reorganization plan was instituted to increase residents’ participation in selecting village officials. On May 12, 1970, 350 residents at a Town Meeting approved a plan that created a Nominating Committee, with elected and appointed members, which would present to a Town Meeting twice the number of nominees as vacancies in office. As a consequence of this change, for the first time in Civic Betterment’s history, two women were among the Civic Betterment slate of nominees. Both were elected by significant margins.

In the early 1970s, another party, the Open Forum Party, presented candidates for two elections, but none were elected. Since that time, almost without exception, Glen Ellyn’s long line of excellent Village and Library office-holders have emerged from the Civic Betterment Party’s “neighbors nominating neighbors” process.

THE ROLE OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Nominating Committee has the following responsibilities:

• Raise public understanding that CBC promotes quality volunteer involvement by putting forward a non-partisan slate of candidates for elected public office in Glen Ellyn.
• Promote resident involvement and support for CBC’s fundraising appeal.
• Recruit candidates for elected Village and Library offices.
• Interview candidates to determine their interests and qualifications.
• Nominate candidates and present the slate to residents at the Town Meeting.
• Prompt residents to attend the Town Meeting and vote. Note: CBC promotes a slate, not individual candidates.
• Organize and run the Town Meeting.
• Circulate candidate petitions for the municipal election and work to get candidates elected if opposed.

ABOUT VILLAGE AND LIBRARY OFFICES

What is the role of the Village Board of Trustees and the Village President?

The Village of Glen Ellyn is governed by a 6-person Board of Trustees and a separately elected Village President.

The Village Board of Trustees is comprised of six trustees elected to four-year terms. Elections are held in odd numbered years such that the six trustees are elected on a staggered basis with three positions elected every two years. In general, the Board is charged with setting policies, approving budgets, and  overseeing the activities of village management. Trustees perform a variety of duties outlined in the Village Code. These include, but are not limited to, matters of village finances including the approval of the annual village budget; approval of contracts; responsiveness to citizen concerns; establishment of, and variations to, building, zoning, subdivision, and traffic codes; and establishment of license fees as well as other charges. The Board’s work also includes reviewing and approving the work of the various appointed commissions. Trustees serve as Board liaisons to the village advisory boards and commissions.

The Village President is elected to a four-year term and performs a variety of duties as required by State Statute and Village Code. These duties include, but are not limited to, serving as the presiding officer at Village Board meetings, serving as the village’s liquor commissioner, and, with the advice and consent of the village trustees, appointment of the village manager, village attorney, village prosecutor, and all members of citizen commissions with the exception of the Board of Trustees.

The Village President and the Board of Trustees determine appointments to the fourteen permanent Village commissions as well as various ad hoc citizen boards totaling nearly 100 volunteer positions. These appointments have specific areas of responsibility, such as the Plan Commission or the Zoning Board of Appeals. Citizen advisory boards and commissions meet throughout the year with most meetings held during evening hours. All meetings are open to the public.

The Village Board meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 pm. Village Board meetings are broadcast live on local cable television. The Village Board conducts workshop meetings on the third Monday of each month at 7 pm.

For more information about the role of the Village President or Village Trustees, please feel free to contact:

Rick Scheck at scheck.rickm@gmail.com or Zak Wlson at zakmacwilson@gmail.com

What is the role of the Glen Ellyn Library Board?

The Library Board is comprised of 7 Trustees who serve staggered 4-year terms. The Board provides leadership and guidance to the salaried staff of the Glen Ellyn Public Library. It sets policies, review budgets, and helps maintain relationships between the library and the residents of the village.

The Library Board holds its regular meetings on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Trustee’s Room on the third floor of the library.

Further information can also be obtained from the Director of the Library, Dawn Bussey, at 630-469-0879 ext. 6760 or dbussey@gepl.org.

HOW THE CIVIC BETTERMENT COMMITTEE IDENTIFIES CANDIDATES FOR THE GLEN ELLYN VILLAGE AND LIBRARY BOARDS.

The Civic Betterment Nominating Committee fosters a step-by-step, transparent process to identify candidates to serve in elected public office in the Village of Glen Ellyn. Months prior to election day, the goal is to seek a diverse group of candidates.

Following are the Nominating Committee’s steps in seeking candidates and determining a slate for the Town Meeting.

In March, prior to the Town Meeting, the members of the CBC Nominating Committee begin meeting with the goal to identify and contact potential candidates by consulting current and past Village and Library Boards’ membership for referrals. For example, it reaches out to village committees, commissions, and library organizations such as the ‘Friends of the Library’ for interested potential candidates. The Committee also reviews its records from previous years for potential candidates who may have a current interest in running. In short, the Committee members do all they can to identify and contact potential candidates.

Potential candidates with an interest in serving on the Village or Library Board or as Village President are asked to complete an application and are required to submit their applications to be reviewed by the Committee. Potential candidates are scheduled to be interviewed before the Committee and interviews are conducted with each individual potential candidate and the Nominating Committee to understand the potential candidates’ motivations, experiences, and qualifications and how they plan to benefit the Village in the position they are interested in serving.

The CBC application requests from the potential candidate such information as: “List the most significant challenges you believe are facing Glen Ellyn relevant to the role you are seeking, and offer a 50-word statement, for publication, on how you plan to address the challenges.” Applications can be found here.

The CBC Nominating Committee has stringent criteria when interviewing potential candidates to keep the process free of bias. The Committee interviews all potential candidates interested and applications that are submitted. The following CBC Nominating Committee criteria are used:

• Potential candidates, at a minimum, must be “qualified under election law to hold the office”
• Potential candidates should understand and want to address the wider set of issues that the Village or Library Board-holder must tackle for the betterment of the community
• Should not be a “single-issue” candidate
• Potential candidates deemed “not qualified,” are encouraged to defer seeking office and instead are suggested ways to get involved on a Village or Library commission, committee, or in some other way to better prepare themselves for future consideration

After all potential candidate interviews are completed, the Nominating Committee undertakes a voting process that aims to slate at least two qualified candidates for each open position.

Candidates who are not slated by the Committee, or who choose not to appear in front of the Committee, may potentially become a Civic Betterment Committee candidate by notifying the Nominating Committee chair at least 30 days before the Town Meeting of their intent to be nominated from the floor of the Meeting.

After the CBC Nominating Committee determines its slate of Village and Library Board candidates it begins a rigorous process to help fairly publicize the slate; and provide a low-cost campaign.

CBC ENCOURAGES A LIMITED STRESS, INEXPENSIVE CAMPAIGN

Civic Betterment Committee candidates are encouraged to campaign for their election. In the context of the Civic Betterment Committee process, this means pursuing low-cost and low-key efforts to bring a person’s candidacy to the attention of voters and, especially, to encourage voters to turn out for the Town Meeting and vote.

The benefits of campaigning as a CBC candidate:

• The CBC produces a brochure publicizing the slate of candidates and the Town Meeting details
• The CBC distributes the brochure to Glen Ellyn residents prior to the Town Meeting
• Press releases and other publicity are forwarded to the local media and similar information appears on the Village of Glen Ellyn website
• The CBC creates lawn and window signs for local residents and downtown merchants to encourage attendance at the Town Meeting

ABOUT VOTING AND THE TOWN MEETING

The Town Meeting is called in advance of election dates to allow ample time for filing candidate petitions, typically no later than early December. A quorum at the Town Meeting is the lesser of 10% of the entire vote cast for all candidates for village president in the last general election or 50. Each voter in attendance is entitled to cast one vote for each vacancy to be filled. Voting is by written secret ballot. Cumulative voting is not permitted. Voting occurs during the hours announced by the Civic Betterment Committee.

Glen Ellyn residents may also vote early on several dates at the Glen Ellyn Civic Center or at location(s) to be announced prior to the Town Meeting.

When residents vote, whether early or at the Town Meeting, identification is checked and an affidavit is signed by the voter to assure that only Glen Ellyn residents vote. The affidavit certifies that the voter is a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, and has resided within the incorporated Village of Glen Ellyn limits for at least 30 days prior to the date of the Town Meeting.

The principal business of the Town Meeting is nominating candidates for village and library office and election of CBC officers and nominating committee members.

Candidate speeches are limited to three minutes for library board candidates and five minutes for village president and village trustee candidates. Speeches are given by candidates in reverse of the ballot order. Ballot order is drawn at random.

No campaign materials besides the Civic Betterment Committee brochure are allowed at the Town Meeting. No candidate campaign materials will be allowed in the Civic Center nor within 100 feet of the Town Meeting site.

BALLOTING

All ballot collection boxes are in the back of Wiedner Auditorium at the Civic Center. While balloting is open, all candidates remain in Clayton North, or in the designated seating area in Wiedner Auditorium.

REGISTRATION AND VOTE TABULATION

Traditionally, members of the League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn have graciously assisted CBC by tabulating votes. CBC members tabulate election results for CBC officers and nominating committee members.

Vote tabulation typically begins at approximately 1 pm. Each candidate is allowed to have one poll watcher in the tabulation room during the vote counting process, if desired. This is not mandatory and is at the discretion of each candidate. The poll watchers may not participate in, nor interfere with, the vote counting. Once the poll watcher enters the counting room, he or she must remain in the room until all ballots are counted.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS

The CBC President appoints three election judges—traditionally supplied by the League of Women Voters—to count and certify the results of the elections. The results are announced at the Civic Center at the conclusion of the tabulation. The Town Meeting is adjourned after the announcement of results.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE TOWN MEETING?

For those selected to be Civic Betterment Committee Village Trustee/Village President candidates:

• The CBC assists in filing certification of the candidate’s nomination with the Village Clerk.
• The statement is accompanied by the candidate’s statement of candidacy, which the CBC prepares for the candidate’s signature.
• The statement is also accompanied by a receipt from the County Clerk certifying that the candidate has filed the required Statement of Economic Interest, which the CBC supplies to the candidate and which the candidate must complete and mail to the County Clerk.
• The CBC obtains nominating petitions, helps circulate them for signatures, and assists candidates in filing these with the Village Clerk by the filing deadline.

For those selected to be Civic Betterment Committee Library Trustee candidates:

• The CBC assists in filing the candidate’s Statement of Candidacy-Nonpartisan with the Village Clerk. The CBC prepares the statement for the candidate’s signature
• The CBC obtains nominating petitions and sees that they are signed by “at least 50 qualified voters”, and also assists in filing these with the Village Clerk.
• The filing must be accompanied by a receipt from the County Clerk that the candidate has filed the required Statement of Economic Interest, which the CBC supplies to the candidate and which the candidate must complete and mail to the County Clerk.

If Civic Betterment Committee candidates are opposed in the general election, the CBC will support them, publicize their candidacy, and campaign for their election.

Those who are victorious in the general election will be sworn into office.