Naperville Municipal Council Endorsements

By Linda Sullivan

Members of the River Prairie Group Political Committee and several RPG Naperville residents have formed a committee to ascertain if any of the candidates for Naperville City council should be endorsed. Endorsing in a local election is highly unusual for the RPG Political Committee, as it requires a lot of volunteer work. This election is important because of upcoming decisions for Naperville regarding their electrical supply contract. Naperville contracts about one-third of the power produced by the Prairie State Coal Plant in southern IL, which is the second most polluting plant in the nation. Eighty percent of Naperville electrical power comes from this source. The Sierra Club is committed to a clean energy transition, and helping Naperville elect leaders committed to this goal is important for not only their community but for clean air for all IL residents and beyond.

There are eight candidates running for four positions. All candidates were sent a questionnaire to be completed and returned to both the Chapter and the RPG Political Chair. The committee conducts interviews with all candidates who return their questionnaire and determines whether to advance the endorsement request. Two layers of Sierra Club governing bodies must approve any endorsement, so the Executive Committee of the RPG will vote on the recommendation of the committee and then leaders of Sierra Club IL Chapter. The outcome of the process should be determined in early March and will be published on social media and the RPG and IL Chapter websites.

Early voting begins on March 17 and the election is April 1. Everyone should check their local elections such as for school board, libraries, city councils, and townships for candidates that will benefit the environment and justice for residents in their communities. Local elections carry a heavy impact on the lives of residents within their boundaries.