• Got a tip?
  • Contact Us
  • Laws-Forms-Info
Menu
  • Got a tip?
  • Contact Us
  • Laws-Forms-Info
  • In The News
  • Gov Plates
  • Live Video
Menu
  • In The News
  • Gov Plates
  • Live Video

Support
Our Mission

Support Our Mission

login

January 17, 2021

Attorney General, DuPage County, feature, Lisa Madigan

AG: Lemont Mayor demanding home address for public comment violates law -

BY JOHN KRAFT & KIRK ALLEN

ON September 5, 2014

LEMONT, IL. (ECWd) -

During the Village of Lemont's April 14, 2014 board meeting, Mayor Brian Reaves tried badgering a citizen into providing her address in order to participate in public comment. It is unclear as to why he insisted on the address, but it was clearly an attempt at intimidating the speaker - a tactic used too often in local public meetings in attempting to negate comment based on where the commenter resides, or maybe he was going to send flowers later, who knows.

The complaint filed with the Attorney General says that Ms. Hughes felt "pressured" and "forced" to provide her address and was not comfortable with having to provide it. To us this make sense because you never know who won't have the same appreciation for your comments as you do, and try to extract revenge at a later date, and what better way than to already have the address handy.

Mayor Reaves tried appealing based on the "longstanding custom and practice" of the board, but the AG didn't buy it citing that it was a violation of the law.

Specifically, in that the board's own public comment policy did not state that an address was required, and even if it did the AG would likely determine that the policy would violate the Open Meetings Act, Section 2.06(g) as being unreasonable. Since the right to speak is not contingent with where a person resides, placing such a condition on speaking would exceed the scope of the public body's rule making authority and may present a chilling effect on persons wishing to speak to the public body.

Video evidence (below) and an affidavit were provided to assist the AG in making this determination.

The determination was that the board did violate the Open Meetings Act by attempting to require an address as a condition to speak because their policy did not require it, and even if their policy required an address that policy would violate the OMA as an unreasonable rule.
.
[gview file="https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/AG-No-Address-Required.pdf" save="1"]

.

Help Us Keep Shining The Light On Local Governments

Share This
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Like This
[fblike]
Related

DuPage County Clerk signed anti-transparency contract with Dominion Voting Systems – Dominion encouraged County to resist disclosure of information

January 15, 2021

What Happens When No One Runs For Elective Office?

January 14, 2021

Watchdogs sue Chicago Police Department for body cam footage, incident reports –

January 14, 2021
2 Comments
  • ECWDogs
    Posted at 16:50h, 05 September

    AG: Lemont Mayor demanding home address for public comment violates law – http://t.co/X8RBnFDu17

  • Bruce Anderson
    Posted at 01:03h, 04 February

    Mr Reaves is all about himself and basically a Jerk. He is in trouble for a sports complex that was to be built in Lemont and is now running off to North Carolina for a new job to avoid it all.

Related

DuPage County Clerk signed anti-transparency contract with Dominion Voting Systems – Dominion encouraged County to resist disclosure of information

January 15, 2021

What Happens When No One Runs For Elective Office?

January 14, 2021

Watchdogs sue Chicago Police Department for body cam footage, incident reports –

January 14, 2021
2 Comments
  • ECWDogs
    Posted at 16:50h, 05 September

    AG: Lemont Mayor demanding home address for public comment violates law – http://t.co/X8RBnFDu17

  • Bruce Anderson
    Posted at 01:03h, 04 February

    Mr Reaves is all about himself and basically a Jerk. He is in trouble for a sports complex that was to be built in Lemont and is now running off to North Carolina for a new job to avoid it all.

  • Got a tip?
  • Laws-Forms-Info
  • In The News
  • Gov Plates
  • Live Video
  • Facebook