Newly ELECTED City Clerk, Liz Cliffe Peerboom, knows a little about the job. For several years she was Donna Johnson’s deputy clerk.
When Johnson retired Peerboom sought the office in the 2009 elections. She finished second in a five person race to Steve Kapitan. Out of 4,785 votes cast in the 2009 elections Peerboom received 1,493 votes. She resigned shortly after the election and became the Village Clerk in Maple Park.
Kapitan resigned the position reportedly for not being able to take minutes during the city council’s numerous closed session minutes. The city council, in their infinite wisdom, decided to gut the full time elected position from $60,000 per year plus benefits to $5,000 total compensation. They also voted to move the City Clerk’s staff under the direction of the City Manager. Then they put a referendum question on the 2012 General Election ballot to eliminate the elected city clerk and have the position be appointed under the control of the City Manager.
A total of 14,189 ballots were cast on the question and almost 71% of them said no thanks.
As the deadline passed to file petitions for the open City Clerk position in the 2013 elections not a single candidate emerged. That petition required the same number of signatures as a candidate for Mayor as opposed to as few as 16 signatures for some of the city council alderman seats.
When the deadline for write-in candidates passed four candidates emerged. Peerboom, Lynn Fazekas, Steve Kapitan and Leonard Le Grand.
No candidate for office in the 2013 elections worked harder than Peerboom. She walked the neighborhoods, knocked doors and was the most aggressive candidate on the social networks. She ran a very positive public campaign.
A total of 1,611 write-in ballots were cast. Peerboom was the choice of 1,194 voters.
From her Facebook Page:
I would like to thank each and every voter (1194 of you!) that took the extra time to write my name in today for DeKalb City Clerk. I would like to thank my husband for everything that he did for me (sign placement, errand running, moral support), I would like to thank Dave Baker for rounding up the troops for me throughout this election, you worked SO hard for me. I would like to thank my daughter (Stephanie Davies), Karla Ryan Walt and my nephew (Brandon Patrick Cliffe) for making phone calls. I’d like to thank my nephew Israel Rivera for going door to door for me. I would like to thank Jennifer Groce for being a role model and going out on that oh so cold Saturday to go door to door. I would like to thank Donna Johnson and Diane Wright for talking me into taking this journey. …and I would like to thank my boss and co-workers at the Village of Maple Park for your support and for putting up with me for the last two months. There are so many of you that I can’t name in a single post that donated to my campaign, allowed me to put signs in your yard and spread the word for me. I will be forever grateful. Also, Cheryl Aldis, and all my Clerk friends throughout the state that gave me moral support and gave me great advice along the way. This was a very long day and the outcome went in my favor because of YOU! Now, we will get to the business of being City Clerk. I am so looking forward to going to work for the residents of DeKalb. I will make your extra effort worth it!
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