After a summer of schedule wrangling, a line-item agenda discussion regarding the village of River Forest’s April term limits referendum will occur at Monday’s 7 p.m. board meeting.
The meeting will feature citizen comments early, with the village board’s discussion of the term limits referendum near the end of the meeting, the only item under new business on the agenda released Friday.
Village board meetings are held in the community room at village hall, 400 Park Ave.
“I expect there to be some public comment at the beginning, and hopefully a robust discussion,” Trustee Megan Keskitalo said Friday of her expectations. “I have asked previously for our (legal) counsel to provide all options the board might take regarding term limits.”
Cathy Adduci, village president, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
The exact wording used in a citizen group’s petition that placed the referendum on the April 1 election ballot has caused confusion about whether that referendum is binding or advisory. The Yes votes totaled 53.15%, compared to 46.8% for the No votes.
The language of the referendum question that asked residents to vote for or against term limits was specific:
“Shall the Village of River Forest, after the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election, enact term limits for the elected offices of Village President, Village Clerk, and the six (6) Village Trustees for no more than two (2) four-year (4-year) terms total as follows: for each of three (3) Trustees beginning with the April 3, 2027, Consolidated election, and for the Village President, Village Clerk, and three (3) Trustees starting with the April 6, 2029, Consolidated election?”
The matter did not make the July 14 meeting due to a packed agenda. The next opportunity was Aug. 25, but the entire board could not be present.