Rantoul – Objections To Referendum Question Petitions Filed –

Rantoul, Ill. (ECWd) –

As suspected, Objectors filed their objections to the petitions asking for a referendum question to abandon electing Rantoul Village Trustees by district.

Just as in 2023, the “bottom line” of the petition objection rests in the fact that the referendum is premature according to the Illinois Municipal Code and established case law because the village had not “operated for more than 4 years” at the time the petition signatures were collected and will not have operated for “more than 4 years” at the date of the election, under the district representation passed in a previous referendum.

This petition objection argues the same points argued in 2023, where the circuit court agreed the petition for referendum was premature, that the process of collecting signatures, filing the petition, and have the election were all one singular process and no part of that process could begin until after four years had passed of the village trustees, elected by districts, were in their term of office.

In 2023, Judge Dyer found the district trustee form of government begins after trustees are elected by district and are sworn into office. Additionally, none of the various preliminary steps to abandonment may precede prior to the expiration of the full four-years of operation set out in the statute. In the current matter, Rantoul began operating as a district trustee form of government May 4, 2021, and the full four-years of operation will expire May 4, 2025.

What’s next?

The Village of Rantoul will convene its Electoral Board to hear the petition objection, and we will livestream that hearing if we are available. Should the electoral board dismiss the objection and leave the referendum on the ballot, we suspect it will be appealed to the Champaign County Circuit Court, just like it was two years ago (we will seek Extended Media Coverage to livestream any court hearings should there be any).

The Objection is below, we will publish the supporting docs when they become available.