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BY PAUL CZAPKOWICZ
Times Correspondent | Tuesday, February 14, 2006 | (No comments posted.)
CHICAGO HEIGHTS | A shouting match erupted Monday morning among aldermen as the City Council voted to appeal last week's decision by U.S. District Court Judge David H. Coar ordering a change in the city's government.
Coar's ruling orders the city to increase the size of the council from six to seven wards, elect the city clerk and treasurer, who previously were appointed by the mayor, and limit the mayor's ability to cast tie-breaking votes and appoint department heads.
A lawsuit initiated by four residents in 1987 challenged the at-large election of four commissioners and a mayor. They argued the system prevented minority candidates from being elected. In 1994, the city adopted by referendum its current form of six aldermen, one for each district.
The judge approved a plan submitted by Robert McCoy, one of the residents who initiated the 1987 lawsuit, and 3rd Ward Alderman Kevin Perkins, which calls for seven districts, with two aldermen elected in each district.
"Four of the seven wards will be either black or Latino," McCoy said. "When you have these situations where the black and Latino aldermen want money for street repairing, they can't be outvoted by the white aldermen."
McCoy said that no form of government prescribed by the state has six districts, but instead call for an odd number to prevent the mayor from regularly breaking ties.
Sparks began to fly after Mayor Anthony DeLuca and the council members emerged from an executive session in which the court order was discussed.
Alderman Francisco Perez, 2nd Ward, motioned not to appeal Coar's decision.
Perkins and Alderman Willie White, 1st Ward, agreed with Perez. White and Perkins are black, and Perez is Hispanic.
Aldermen Joe Faso, 4th Ward; Lisa Aprati, 5th Ward; and Michael Sabo, 6th Ward, who are white, dissented.
It was up to DeLuca to cast the deciding vote.
When DeLuca voted not to appeal the decision, Corporation Counsel Kathleen Field Orr asked him if he was sure of his decision. DeLuca then changed his vote, stating that he had misspoken.
Perez became irate.
"What was that about, corporate counsel?" Perez asked. "He made a vote. It was on the record. How can you correct him?"
Orr said that it was a matter of clarification. Perez said the vote was a prime example of why the current system must be changed.
"You have a corporate counsel appointed by the mayor that has no reason to be there saying anything about what his decision is," he said.
DeLuca said that while he has struggled with the issue, he voted in favor of an appeal because there are legal points in the ruling that still must be resolved. He said that the city's situation is different than in 1987, noting the large number of minority department heads he appointed.
"I have put together an administration that represents the diversity of our city," DeLuca said
Perkins said that the city has spent more than $3 million in legal expenses over the past 19 years, and called the city's current form of government illegal.
"Chicago Heights officials for the past 19 years have waged a public war against their own citizens' right to vote," said U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. "These officials shamefully and systematically denied nearly an entire generation of city residents the right to fully, fairly and equally participate in the election of local officials. ... I urge the city to accept this decision, abide by it, and not appeal it. Chicago Heights has been on the wrong side of history long enough."
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