Above is from: http://cjonline.com/blog-post/keri/2016-09-05/kochs-and-public-lands
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Belvidere alderman proposing new city police station
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By Susan Vela
Staff writer 
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The Belvidere-Boone County Public Safety Building on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, in Belvidere. MAX GERSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/RRSTAR.COM
By Susan Vela
Staff writerPosted Sep. 4, 2016 at 12:00 PM
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The Belvidere-Boone County Public Safety Building on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016, in Belvidere. MAX GERSH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/RRSTAR.COM
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By Susan Vela
Staff writerPosted Sep. 4, 2016 at 12:00 PM
BELVIDERE — Alderman George Crawford’s proposal for the city to build its own police station separate from the Boone County Public Safety Building could get snuffed quickly.
For several weeks, health problems have prevented the 4th Ward alderman from making formal presentations to the Committee of the Whole about the benefits of the department and its 43 officers having their own home.
Also, some elected officials, including Boone County Sheriff Dave Ernest, are promising firm opposition.
“I’m very surprised and somewhat confused,” Ernest said. “Working together (and) being a partner only makes sense. These days, the regional approach is much more preferred. Ultimately, all our resources are being cut. It’s nice to be able to share those.
“We have to live within our means.”
The county spends about $1.5 million a year, with roughly half of the dollars coming from city coffers, for maintenance, operation and staffing required for the 41-year-old Public Safety Building, 615 N. Main St.
It houses the Belvidere Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Boone County Coroner’s Office and a dispatch center that serves both the city and county.
Crawford said he’d rather the city have its independence, especially as it pertains to the dispatch center.
“It would be better with our own police station," Crawford said. "I’m not saying totally break away from the county. We could pay them to use 911."
Crawford’s proposal is preliminary. He hasn’t chosen a location. There are no designs. He’s not sure how much it would cost.
Even if the city moves into the planning stages, Budget and Finance Officer Becky Tobin said the city can't afford to build.
“We would not have the means," she said. "We would have to sell bonds in order to fund something like that.”
Crawford has at least one supporter on City Council.
“I thought it would be a good idea,” said Ald. John Sanders, 5th Ward, declining further comment.
Others prefer a more cautionary approach.
“I want to see his information first,” Ald. Clayton Stevens, 1st Ward, said.
Boone County and Belvidere have severed other government partnerships. Boone County Board members voted 8-4 in February to give the city a 90-day notice to pull out from a decades-long agreement to jointly plan for economic development and other planning and zoning matters.
Belvidere Police Chief Jan Noble said he’d prefer the Boone County Public Safety Building expand than the city build a police station.
Now, the police agency’s patrol division and community policing coordinator are downstairs. The administrative, investigative and support staff portions are upstairs. Half of the sheriff's 119-employee staff work out of the courthouse basement.
“We have a very fragmented control of our employees,” Noble said. “We believe it could stand greater improvement. We just need more room.”
But in 2008, voters twice rejected tax increases to support a Public Safety Building expansion.
Boone County Administrator Ken Terrinoni said he’ll take a wait-and-see approach.
“It would be premature to comment,” he said. “We really need to visit with Belvidere officials and see what their goal is by proposing this.”
Susan Vela: 815-987-1392; svela@rrstar.com; @susanvela
Above is from: http://www.rrstar.com/news/20160904/belvidere-alderman-proposing-new-city-police-station
RRStar: Agenda items at Belvidere & Boone County Governments
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By Staff Reports
Rockford Register StarPosted Sep. 5, 2016 at 6:00 AM
In an effort to shed more light on what local government boards are up to each week, the Register Star will publish a brief look at key items up for consideration by elected bodies.
Belvidere City Council: Aldermen will convene at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd., to discuss an ordinance establishing the city clerk’s salary as $66,356 in 2017, $67,020 effective May 1, 2018, $67,690 effective May 1, 2019, and $68,367 effective May 1, 2020.
Boone County Board: The Planning, Zoning and Building Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 1212 Logan Ave. to discuss the Angelic Organics Association of Caledonia requesting a special-use permit to operate a learning center.
Election/Retention of Illinois Supreme Court Justices
Just Under Half of U.S. States Elect their Supreme Court Justices
Different Procedures for Selection, Retention, and Terms
The Illinois Supreme Court is the last stop for many of the state's most controversial issues. From pension payments to redistricting reform, the Court's influence is undeniable. In order to better understand the makeup of this important part of the Illinois judicial system, ICPR's research team looked into how U.S. states select and retain their Supreme Court Justices, and how long they are asked to serve.
Selection
The Illinois Supreme Court is made up of seven Justices who are elected from five districts in the state. By law, three of the Justices are always elected from the Cook County District. The other four Justices come from four districts outside of Cook County. Additionally, Illinois is one of 22 states to select their Justices in elections, but one of only of four states to do so with district-based rather than statewide elections. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kentucky also use district-based elections.
District-based elections date back to the 1848 Illinois Constitution. By 1870, amendments to the Constitution increased the size of the Illinois Supreme Court from three to seven Justices. In 1964, under the administration of Governor Otto Kerner Jr., the makeup, retention, and terms of the Illinois Supreme Court were significantly changed and approved by Illinois voters. The term length of Justices increased from 9 to 10 years, and retention elections were introduced. The same provision reduced the number of judicial districts from seven to five, but added a clause requiring three of the seven Justices to be elected from from Cook County. Mandating a single District to have a set proportion of the Court's members is not a practice used by any other states.
Supreme Court Selection Processes in U.S. States
Compiled by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
28 states use appointments to select Justices. Usually, the appointment decision is left to the Governor, but Virginia and South Carolina grant that power to state legislators instead. All states that rely on appointments also use a nominating commission before and/or a confirmation vote afterwards. Nominating commissions vary widely across states. Some are made up of existing state agencies, while others have specific membership requirements. The confirmation vote usually occurs in the State Senate, but some states, like Connecticut, require confirmations in both chambers.
Retention
Members of the Illinois Supreme Court can only keep their positions by winning retention elections. Retention elections are yes/no referendums on the justice’s performance. An incumbent Justice simply requires a yes-vote majority to stay in power. Retention elections, unlike Illinois’ unique selection process, are common. 20 states use some form of retention election.
Supreme Court Retention Processes in U.S. States
Compiled by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
As an example, most retention elections occur in states where Justices were appointed to the Court. Certain states send Justices back to the Governor, commission, or General Assembly for reassessment at the end of their term. New Hampshire and Massachusetts do not reassess their judicial selections, as their Justices are permitted to serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70. Rhode Island is the only state that grants their Justices a genuine life term.
Terms
The term length for Justices in Illinois is 10 years, which is fairly common. Nearly half the country uses term lengths of 8 or 10 years. All states have term limits between 6 and 14 years, except for the three aforementioned New England states and New Jersey. New Jersey is an outlier when it comes to term lengths. After being appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, Justices are given a provisionary term of 7 years. Upon reappointment by the governor and reconfirmation by the senate, Justices are granted a second term lasting until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Supreme Court Term Lengths in U.S. States
Compiled by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
How Illinois Compares
Overall, Illinois' selection and retention procedures for Supreme Court Justices are unlike most other states in two key ways. First, Illinois elects Supreme Court Justices in District Elections rather than Statewide Elections. This is only done by three other states in the nation. Furthermore, Illinois requires that three of its seven Justices come from Cook County, a specific designation based on geography. This is not a practice used by any other state. Secondly, Illinois uses retention elections rather than competitive elections to retain its Justices. Most other states that require competitive elections to select Justices also require competitive elections to retain them. Taking these two issues into consideration, the question remains as to whether or not these procedures may have an impact on major and controversial decisions facing Illinois.
We would like to hear from you! Do you think the current Illinois Supreme Court selection and retention procedures are the best for our state? Send your comments to outreach@ilcampaign.org or reply to this email.
Contact: Sarah Brune at 312-436-1274 or sarah@ilcampaign.org
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