City Council voted Monday night to adopt a rulebook that maintains its simple majority requirement for selecting an acting mayor, following a monthslong attempt to change the required vote to a two-thirds supermajority.
The change follows Mayor Daniel Biss’ March victory in the Democratic primary to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, making him the heavy favorite to win November’s general election. A victory or pre-win resignation would leave his role vacant and force the Council to elect an acting mayor before a mayoral election can be held.
The rulebook vote was delayed during the Council’s May 26 meeting amid disagreements over the requirement between the Council’s five-person Biss-aligned bloc and its four-person opposition bloc.
Monday’s vote split along those lines, with Alds. Krissie Harris (2nd), Shawn Iles (3rd), Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th), Bobby Burns (5th) and Juan Geracaris (9th) supporting the simple majority and Alds. Clare Kelly (1st), Tom Suffredin (6th), Parielle Davis (7th) and Matt Rodgers (8th) opposing it.
Rodgers expressed disappointment that some councilmembers considered the six-vote threshold too high, suggesting they are content “governing 5-4.”
“Six is a consensus,” he said. “Five is not a consensus — five is a majority.”
Rodgers’ amendment, which included the supermajority requirement, was voted off the table 4-5 following the same bloc lines.
Later, during discussion on an ultimately successful counter-amendment by Nieuwsma to enshrine the simple majority requirement, Kelly pressed Biss on when he plans to resign.
“The only consideration I will be guided by is how to minimize the amount of time that the city could have an unelected mayor,” Biss said in response.
That statement mirrors a similar remark the mayor made during the May 26 meeting, where Biss said he intended to resign in time to trigger an April 2027 special election.
Following a 2025 amendment to the state’s election code, Biss must resign by Oct. 19 to trigger the special election. He previously indicated he would resign before Nov. 27, the deadline before last year’s change.
Following the meeting, Biss clarified he will announce when he plans to resign following the release of the state’s municipal election calendar, which typically occurs in late June.
“(That’s) 30 days before the petition period,” said City Clerk Stephanie Mendoza. “Minimum 30, anyway. That’s when they’re required to publish (the calendar).”
The new rulebook also makes several other changes, including to requirements for special orders of business and amendments to legislation.
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Related Stories:
— City Council delays vote to decide acting mayor appointment rules
— Rules Committee advances supermajority requirement for potential acting mayor selection
— The Daily Explains: If Biss goes to Congress, here’s how Evanston will replace him
