In Depth

The Proposed Change Elmhurst Reform proposes reducing the Elmhurst City Council from 14 alderpersons to seven, with one alderperson elected from each ward. This is an explanation of what would change, how the proposal could reach the ballot, and what the result of a binding referendum would mean. Elmhurst currently has seven wards, with two…

What does representation really mean when each Elmhurst ward has two aldermen today and would have one under the proposed reform? BOTTOM LINE: Two officeholders are more than one if representation is measured only by head count. But democratic representation also depends on responsiveness, accountability, and a clear connection between voters and the person who…

How a 14-member Council divides its work — and what the 2026 record shows BOTTOM LINE: From January 5th through July 20th of 2026, every final action taken by the full Council on an action recommended by a committee majority, adopted that action without change. Have you ever tried to get 14 friends to decide…

A Smaller Council Could Mean Competitive Elections and Better Discussions Elmhurst has seven wards with two aldermen representing each ward. Reducing the Council to seven aldermen, with one representing each ward, could improve two essential parts of representative government: the opportunity for voters to choose among candidates and the opportunity for the elected Council to…

Ideas for organizing the work of a smaller Elmhurst City Council. Fourteen requires managing people.Seven allows solving problems. A smaller Council can work differently Reducing the City Council from 14 aldermen to 7 would not simply create a smaller version of the present Council. It would open the door to rethinking how the Council does…

What academic research can—and cannot—tell us about reducing Elmhurst’s City Council from 14 aldermen to 7. BOTTOM LINE: Research does not prove that seven aldermen will govern better than fourteen. It does show that larger councils can bring costs of their own: fragmented decision-making, constituency-based bargaining, greater committee dependence, and less-clear accountability. Seven-member municipal councils…