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DuPage voters reject dual offices
Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso casts his vote at the Burr Ridge United Church of Christ. He was a candidate for DuPage County Board. | Jerry Daliege~for Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 9, 2012 7:23PM
BURR RIDGE — DuPage voters resoundly rejected an advisory referendum that sought to allow elected officials to hold more than one elected office.
More than 90 percent of DuPage voters answered no to the question, “Should Illinois law permit an individual to hold two or more public elected offices simultaneously?” There currently is no law restricting an official to a single elected position.
The move to place the question on the ballot was prompted by the campaigns of Elmhurst Mayor Peter DiCianni and Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso for the DuPage County Board. Both originally said they would continue as mayor if elected.
DiCianni later said he would resign as mayor if elected to the District 2 seat, and he did win that County Board race Tuesday.
Grasso has said he intends to keep his position as mayor if elected in District 3. He was locked in a close race late Tuesday, up by just 11 votes.
Grasso said he paid little attention to the outcome of the referendum, which he said was worded in a way that was sure to get overwhelming results.
“The issue is whether politicians should hold two jobs with salaries and two pensions,” Grasso said Tuesday night. As mayor, he receives $6,000 a year and no benefits. And while DuPage County Board members are offered a pension, Grasso, a vocal advocate for state pension reform, said he doesn’t approve of the practice.
“I don’t think any part-time official should ever get a pension,” he said.
