Seven preserves Elmhurst’s seven wards and gives each ward one elected alderman. It is a straightforward way to reduce the Council’s size while keeping representation from every part of the city.
Comparable nearby communities operate with substantially smaller governing bodies. That does not establish an ideal number for Elmhurst, but it shows that fourteen aldermen are not a prerequisite for governing a community of this size.
The reason for choosing seven is the combination: a smaller Council and one representative for every existing ward.
For more, see The Elmhurst Reform Proposal for a Smaller City Council