Naperville Term Limits

Chicagoans can only dream:

• The Naperville City Council tonight moved closer to placing a measure on the November ballot to limit the number of terms the mayor and council members could serve.

  After an hour-long discussion, council members voted 7-1 to direct the city's legal staff to draw up a possible referendum question on term limits. Council members will review that question at their July 20 meeting. They have until an Aug. 29 deadline to place referendum questions on the Nov. 2 ballot.

  On Tuesday night, council members agreed to instruct Naperville's lawyers to develop a referendum question that would limit all city elected officials to serving three consecutive terms, beginning with officials whom voters elect in April 2013.

  The action is in response to recent efforts by the Naperville Voter Education League to gather signatures to place the issue of term limits on November's ballot.

After our last referendum foray, we realize the enormity of the task at hand in Chicago. You need professional signature collectors, lawyers versed in election law, time beyond what we have available to even hope to get to the point where a Daley-controlled Election Board would even consider granting you one of the three referendum spots available. The chances of that happening rapidly approach "zero" with alarming speed.

Reform is a long way away here.