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DeKalb looking at clerk options City researching how to fill post after resignation By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com
Monica Synett – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
County Board District 9 candidates Craig Genteman (left) and Jim Luebke answer questions for the audience during the DeKalb County candidate forum Tuesday at the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb.
Clerk and recorder, County Board hopefuls share their views By JESSI HAISH jhaish@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Jan Devore walked out of Tuesday’s candidate night event still unsure about her local votes, but she had more to think about. “I was curious to hear what I could,” said Devore of DeKalb. “I’m still undecided, but it’s always worth it to come out and listen to the candidates.” The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce hosted the local candidate night at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St. Daily Chronicle editor Eric Olson moderated the event, which included a forum for DeKalb-area contested races. Other county candidates attended a meet and greet before the on-stage forum. Although DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder candidates Trent Taylor and incumbent Doug Johnson did not mention an alleged ethics com-
plaint against Johnson during the forum, they did discuss ways they would like to see the office’s technology and services improve. Johnson said technology should make information from the office more convenient and less expensive for taxpayers and the county. “If technology can do this for the clerk-recorder’s office, I will embrace it, I will implement it and I will use it,” Johnson said. Johnson said he believed the elections department could benefit the most from more technology, as elections have long hours and can be expensive. Taylor, a title examiner specialist and title searcher for Fox Title in DeKalb, said technology is important in the service of county residents. “DeKalb County just recently got their recorder’s office online,” Taylor said. “I want to expand the accessibility to the office through technol-
ogy. A clerk’s office is open the same hours most people have to work. ... I would like to make more records available online if appropriate.” Republican Craig Genteman and Democrat Jim Luebke, DeKalb County Board District 9 candidates, discussed what is important in a County Board role. For both, priorities include fiscal responsibility. Genteman, a current Northern Illinois University student and recent member of the Army, said it’s necessary to look at cost-effective ways to turn the county around. “The housing market is not doing well, the price of houses have gone down,” Genteman said. “Taxes keep getting raised. People care about money, they care about jobs. We need to bring real job opportunities back to this county.” Luebke, most recently a DeKalb
County Clerk and Recorder candidates
Trent Taylor
Doug Johnson
Election Central Follow the local, state and national races at Daily-Chronicle/ election.
See FORUM, page A6
DeKALB – With former DeKalb City Clerk Liz Peerboom’s formal resignation in hand, DeKalb Mayor John Rey expects to announce he is accepting applications for a temporary clerk appointment Oct. 13. First, however, city officials have to decide which of two conflicting state statutes to follow, Liz Peerboom State Board of Elections General Counsel Ken Menzel said. According to one, Rey could appoint someone to fill the remainder of Peerboom’s term. A second statute stipulates Rey would appoint someone temporarily with voters electing a clerk to fill an unexpired two-year term in April. “You could make an argument for either one applying,” Menzel said. “But the city attorney will research and determine which ought to apply.” Rey said City Attorney Dean Frieders believes the city should follow the statute that calls for an election when there are at least 130 days before the next municipal election and at least 28 months left in the clerk’s term. Rey is waiting for a written opinion from Frieders, but he expects to announce he’s looking for a temporary clerk during the next DeKalb City Council meeting Oct. 13. Peerboom, who won a race among four write-in candidates for the clerk’s office in April 2013, resigned in an email to Rey on Sept. 19. Frieders explained to her, though, that an official resignation would need to be written, signed and notarized. Rey said he received the formal resignation on Friday. In it, Peerboom said she stood
See CLERK, page A6
Ill. governor looks to Obamas, Hillary Clinton for support Obama next week at an event where he talked up the state’s successes with the president’s CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. health care law. Former SecPat Quinn plans to lean on retary of State Hillary Clinton some heavy Democratic hit- is scheduled to be in Chicago ters with strong ties to the next week to speak at a constate as his re-election cam- ference and could stump for paign against Republican Quinn as well. Bruce Rauner enters its cruThe timing for Quinn might cial last month before the Nov. be tricky, with a bipartisan 4 vote. panel of lawmakers announcQuinn on Tuesday touted ing Tuesday that it would conthe planned Illinois visits of vene for two days next week President Barack Obama this to continue its probe into a week and first lady Michelle troubled anti-violence pro-
By KERRY LESTER
The Associated Press
gram overseen by the Quinn campaign ahead of the last election in 2010. Continuing revelations about problems with the program, after an audit said funds were misused, have dogged Quinn t h r o u g h o u t Pat Quinn the campaign. The panel will convene on the same day as the Chicago visit by Clin-
ton, a potential 2016 presidential contender and Park Ridge native, and a day after the first lady’s visit. The Quinn campaign would not comment on whether it has asked Clinton to appear with him. The White House said Tuesday that President Obama will arrive in Chicago on Wednesday, then hold a campaign event with Quinn and deliver a speech on the economy Thursday at Northwestern University. Quinn shrugged off questions about the timing of the
high-level support. He also dismissed questions about touting his ties to the president, a Chicagoan still popular at home but whose overall public approval ratings have fallen, and about his support of the health law, a polarizing issue for some voters. “I’m very happy to have the support of President Obama and the first lady and Hillary Clinton,” Quinn told reporters at a medical facility. Quinn didn’t shy away from his support of the Af-
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fordable Care Act, which he announced had enrolled more than 685,000 Illinois residents in its first year. He said the state’s “aggressive enrollment efforts” helped register 468,000 residents in an expanded Medicaid program, and another 217,000 enroll in private health plans. “I believe in this with every fiber of my being and I am very, very grateful to President Obama for being steadfast
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See QUINN, page A6