Longer term limits are on the ballot in Alsip and Crestwood, with voters in both villages deciding whether to give term-limited officials an additional term.
Alsip
Alsip’s mayor, clerk and trustees are limited to a maximum of three four-year terms, after voters approved a term limit referendum in 2016. An item on the general election ballot asks voters to extend that to four terms, for a maximum of 16 years.
“We’re certainly honoring the original term-limit referendum,” Mayor John Ryan said. “We’re making ourselves available for an extra four years if the voters decide that’s the right direction to go.”
When the three-term limit was proposed in 2016, it was opposed by then-Mayor Patrick Kitching, who vetoed the Village Board’s attempt to put the issue on the ballot. Trustees then voted 5-1 to override the veto, and the term limits were approved overwhelmingly by voters.
The Alsip Village Board voted in August to place the new resolution on the ballot.
Ryan, who was a trustee in 2016, was originally in favor of term limits. He said they were needed because the village was stagnating, but said that is no longer the case.
“Before 2017, Alsip was a village waiting for that kind of spark,” Ryan said. “In 2017, the community chose a new direction, basically electing myself and some of the now-trustees.”
Ryan said with the community now in a stronger financial position, term-limiting out current officials would cause unnecessary disruption in the middle of what he called an economic Renaissance for the town.
“Strict limits, they force out proven leadership right when a community is reaping the rewards,” Ryan said. “An abrupt administration shift right now could risk stalling projects and disrupting the momentum that drives our village forward.”
Ryan is in this third term as his mayor. If the ballot item does not pass, he cannot seek reelection in 2029. If passed, the referendum would not reset the term limits, he said, meaning he would only be eligible for one additional four-year term.
Trustee William Love said he hasn’t made up his mind yet on the proposed extension. Love was first in 2025, and is in his first term.
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“I’ll see when I go to vote,” Love said. “It was brought up, and I’m not going to necessarily stand in the way of that. I will let the voters decide.”
Love said that part of the reasoning behind the proposed extension is that elections for mayor and Village Board were all unopposed in the last municipal election.
“(The mayor) thinks that that’s kind of a sign that we’re doing a good job, as well as nobody really wanting to kind of step up to do the job,” Love said.
Love said he understood why people might be critical of officials moving to extend their own terms.
“I don’t think that there’s anything nefarious about wanting to extend them a little bit more,” Love said. “I can understand why they would say or think that something might be a little off, from someone supporting one thing and then wanting to extend them later.”
Crestwood
Crestwood’s referendum would cap municipal elected officials at three four-year terms. Crestwood Clerk Cathy Johnson said elected officials are now limited to two terms.
“It kind of went back and forth for a little while there,” Johnson said. “I guess they changed their mind.”
Like Alsip voters, Crestwood residents originally approved a three-term limit in 2016, according to a village news release. Then-Mayor Lou Presta celebrated the measure passing by 91%, saying it showed “overwhelming support for democracy — true democracy.”
Another ballot item in 2021 asked voters to approve a two-term limit, according to a village news release.
Trustee Brian Skala, who is running as a Republican to represent the 14th District in the state Senate, said three terms was the original intention, but that it was changed due to conflict on the state level involving former House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“From what I understand, this was before I came on, it was supposed to read three,” Skala said. “I don’t know the whole specifics of it.”
Crestwood Mayor Kenneth Klein did not respond to requests for comment.