April 1 is election day in several municipalities in Illinois that will have a direct impact on the lives of local residents. Many elections across the Cook County region involve Community College Boards of Trustees, including Moraine Valley.
You can find out more about which positions are on this week’s ballot by visiting Ballotpedia and entering your address and ZIP code.
Local elections have a greater impact on residents because they determine who is running your local town or city (mayor and alderpersons), your local township (supervisor), the local school boards, and the decisions made by boards at community colleges like Moraine. On the Palos Hills ballot for instance, there are three six-year terms open and one two-year term for the MVCC Board of Trustees that will be filled with this election. Those four people will be added to the Board of Trustees and be responsible for making decisions about policy for the college. The City of Palos Hills will also elect a mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, and an alderperson.
Also on the ballot are three public questions for the voters in Illinois that need a simple yes or no response.
Public Questions:
Should the State of Illinois create an independent citizen’s commission to draw fair and competitive federal and state redistricting maps, rather than allowing lawmakers to decide?
Should the State of Illinois be allowed to force unfunded mandates on local governments who may raise property taxes to cover the costs of such unfunded mandates?
Should the State of Illinois enact constitutional pension reform to protect workers’ existing retirements and generate savings which could provide property tax relief or be reinvested in the community?
What do these questions mean?
The first question could address the partisan gerrymandering of districts that currently make certain districts a solid Democrat or solid Republican district, and may result in candidates running unopposed in those districts. The school of thought on an independent commission is that citizens, not elected leaders, would draw these maps. The districts would still need to fit a population criteria, but could look less like the lumpy, odd-shaped districts currently in place.
The second question asks if the state legislature and governor should be allowed to mandate local governments to follow certain requirements or reporting but not provide funds from the state government to pay for the additional costs. For instance, the State might mandate that a local government create a list of all the vendors it hires for building, documenting whether those vendors are owned by women, minorities, or veterans, but not provide the local government with funding to cover the increased labor costs for the person or people who will compile such a report.
The third question ask if the General Assembly and governor should work on reforming the current public pension programs to protect the money that employees pay into the funds, but also save money for the state to then use those savings toward reducing property taxes or reinvesting the money into local communities. Public pension employees include police, fire, public school teachers, and the employees at higher education institutions like Moraine. Instead of paying into Social Security, these employees pay into a public pension fund. K-12 teachers pay into Teachers Retirement System (TRS), while employees of public colleges and universities pay into State University Retirement System (SURS).
Student Trustee 2025-26 Election
In addition to voting for your local communities, Moraine students will also be voting for their next Student Trustee. Like many offices on the local ballot, the candidate is running unopposed. The candidate selected is Garrett Weigel. His biographical information follows:
My name is Garrett Weigel, and I am currently pursuing an Associate of Arts degree here at Moraine Valley. In addition to my studies, I actively support the financial aid department as a work-study student, helping students navigate difficult FAFSA questions making sure all necessary forms are submitted on time for the next semester.
As a Student Trustee, I am committed to listening to the concerns of the student body about what needs improving and being able to communicate these worries with the board of trustees to find the best solutions. Furthermore, it is my goal to act as a mediator between students and staff, ensuring the most important issues for students are taken into account. I am passionate about building on the current strengths of our school and community to create an even more inclusive and supportive environment for our students.
Student Trustee term and qualifications
The Student Trustee term runs from April to April, representing the student body on the Moraine Valley Board of Trustees. They attend Board meetings to provide the student perspective and report back information from the administration to the students. The Student Trustee listens to student concerns and represents Moraine Valley at state-wide meetings.
Election details
Voting will be open from Monday, March 31, through Friday, April 4, 2025, with voting closing at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Students will vote through a link sent to their student e-mail account.
