FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — Citizens of Freeport are calling for a change to the city’s form of governance, replacing the current City Manager with a full-time mayor.
A coalition of concerned residents, led by Erin Hoskinson, have submitted 40 pages of signatures to the Stephenson County Circuit Court, calling for a return to a governmental body led by a mayor and city council.
The city adopted the current Manager-Council system in May of 2017.
Freeport employs a part-time mayor, a post currently occupied by Jodi Miller.
The petition asks for a referendum to be placed on the April 1st election ballot, asking voters to make a switch from the current system, which sees the city’s day-to-day affairs overseen by City Manager Rob Boyer.
Hoskinson said patterns of instability, diminished transparency, and allegations of corruption with the current form of governance were the impetus for her effort.
“A big part of the city manager position is that it’s supposed to provide stability throughout having different mayors in and out of office. But so far, we haven’t seen that,” she said. “It started out of just being a concerned citizen, hearing the people’s unhappiness with the current setup as it is. I felt that instead of just talking about it, what if we made a change?”