West Chicago's elected City Clerk office is back after the City Council voted to restore a position it had improperly eliminated in 2022.

The council on Tuesday, Sept. 8, approved Ordinance 26-O-0021, repealing two 2022 ordinances that had stripped the clerk's duties, pay and City Code listing. The action came after corporation counsel advised that Illinois law creates the office and the council could not remove it without a voter referendum.

In 2022, the council had transferred the elected clerk's responsibilities to city staff, zeroed out the position's pay and deleted it from the code. Staff handled the work from that point forward.

No referendum was held.

A legal review by corporation counsel, completed before a Monday, July 20, council meeting, found the elimination was improper. At that meeting, aldermen weighed two options: repeal the 2022 ordinances outright or put the question to voters in a referendum. They chose repeal and directed the city attorney to draft the restoring ordinance.

Under the restored office, the clerk will attend council meetings, prepare minutes, keep official records, sign and certify city documents and serve as West Chicago's local election official. Annual pay is set at $4,500. The ordinance also creates a deputy clerk position, a city employee who may perform certain duties when allowed by law.

The Sept. 8 ordinance declared the office vacant. Under Illinois law, Mayor Daniel Bovey will appoint a qualified person to fill the seat. That appointment requires approval by a majority of the City Council at a future meeting. The appointee will serve through the end of the current term in April 2029.

The clerk seat will not appear on the 2027 ballot. State law requires the vacancy be filled by appointment, not a special election. Voters will next elect a City Clerk on April 3, 2029, and nomination information is expected during the 2028 election cycle.

City staff will continue handling the clerk's duties while the appointment process moves forward. The city announced the restoration in a press release published Monday, Sept. 14.

Residents who want to weigh in on the appointment can attend a future council meeting when the mayor's nominee comes before the body for a vote. Council agendas are posted at westchicago.org.