Sandwich residents vote to keep city treasurer position, according to unofficial election results

It appears that Sandwich voters have voted to keep the city treasurer position, according to unofficial results from the Nov. 5 election.

According to unofficial results from Kendall and DeKalb counties, 1,898 residents voted “No” on a referendum asking if the office of the City Treasurer of Sandwich be abolished, and if the duties of the treasurer should be assigned to another city position; 1,476 residents voted “Yes.”

At the Jan. 2 Sandwich City Council meeting, members unanimously approved putting the question on the ballot. The position has been vacant since May 2023.

Asking voters whether the duties of the city treasurer should be assigned to another city position “kind of leaves it open whether it’s an appointed or a hired position,” Sandwich Mayor Todd Latham said. The issue was discussed at the Dec. 18 Sandwich City Council meeting.

“Most of our municipalities actually already have these positions as appointed positions and not elected,” Sandwich city attorney Cassandra Gottschalk told council members at the meeting. “It’s not uncommon whatsoever.”

Latham noted that in 2020-21, nobody ran for the office of city treasurer. Because there was a vacancy, Latham – with the advice of the City Council – appointed someone to fill the vacancy. After appointing someone to fill the vacancy, the person declined to be reappointed.

“I made another appointment and that person also declined to be reappointed, so we just left it vacant,” Latham said.

The City Council has been using the city clerk/city collector, the city administrator and Latuerbach and Amen accounting firm to help oversee the city’s finances.