Dixon announces 2 City Council positions up for election in 2025

DIXON — The city of Dixon, in anticipation of the 2025 Consolidated Election, announced Tuesday that two City Council member seats will be open for election, according to a news release from the city clerk’s office.

The openings come as the terms of Councilman Chris Bishop and Councilman Dennis Considine end in April 2025. Council members are elected for 4-year terms, Dixon City Clerk Keesha Kunde said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Dixon residents who wish to run for office must file nomination petitions at the city clerk’s office, 121 W. Second St., during business hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 21 through Oct. 28. On Oct. 28, the clerk’s office will be open until 5 p.m., according to the release.

Candidates must turn in a notarized petition with signatures endorsing the candidate, a statement of candidacy and a receipt as proof of filing a statement of economic interest with the Lee County Clerk’s office for the position of council member, according to the release.

The signatures should be from residents who are qualified to vote in Dixon and are in support of placing the name of the candidate on the ballot. The number of signatures required - about 21 - is determined by Illinois election law that states the amount must be equal to at least 1% of the total votes cast for mayor at the last mayoral election in the municipality, according to the release.

The total ballots cast for mayor in 2023 were 2,092, according to election results from Lee County.

The gathering of signatures can begin at any time, but they must be completed by the deadline for filing, which is 5 p.m. Oct. 28, according to the release.

Since the city of Dixon is a non-partisan municipality, those running for office must file as if there would be a primary election, which is why the signatures are required.

A primary election would only be needed if there are over eight candidates who filed for the two council member positions. If needed, the consolidated primary election would be held on Feb. 25, 2025, according to the release.

If there is no primary, the candidates’ names will be placed on the ballot for the consolidated election that will be held April 1, 2025, according to the release.

During the last consolidated election in Lee County, on April 3, 2023, the city had two open council member positions and two candidates applied. The election before that, on April 6, 2021, the city also had two open council member positions and four candidates applied, Kunde told Shaw Local.

Those who wish to run for office are advised to review Illinois’ “2025 Candidate’s Guide” and Dixon’s candidate packet, which is available at the city clerk’s office, 121 W. Second St., or can be found online at dixongov.com.

The packet contains the forms that must be included in the nomination petition as well as information about fair campaign practices from the Illinois Board of Elections and explanations of different forms of municipal government from the Illinois Municipal League.

“Running for elected office is a serious undertaking and requires preparation and effort. This guide is intended to serve as a primer on local government for those seeking elected office,” the packet states.

The city of Dixon is run by a managerial form of government, Kunde said.

Under this form of government, the elected officials – which for Dixon, includes, the mayor and four council members – represent its community, establish policies and respond to residents’ needs, according to the IML.

Those elected officials appoint a manager to oversee the administrative functions of the government. The manager – selected based on education and skills – is intended to provide the council with objective information about local operations, according to the IML.

“The city of Dixon and its City Clerk make no representation regarding the accuracy or validity of this information and forms you have received. Please consult an attorney before taking action based upon the candidate forms,” the candidate packet states.

Kunde‘s role during elections – as the “local election official” – is to collect the petitions in the city of Dixon, certify the ballot and hand it off to Lee County. The Lee County Clerk’s office functions as the election authority for all the municipalities within the county, Kunde said.

For information, visit the Illinois Board of Elections website at elections.il.gov.