Mr. Keeling's comments were presented to Rockford City Council, December 5th, 2005.
Good, Better, Best
Mayor Morrissey, Ladies and Gentlemen of the City Council, my name is Jim Keeling, the Chairman of Empower Rockford. Our committee is a broad based citizens group formed with the goal of reestablishing Home Rule status for the City of Rockford. It is indeed a privilege to speak before you this evening.
I am very proud to be a citizen of Rockford. I feel that we have a wonderful City but as my mother taught me when I was very young, “Good, Better, Best; May we never rest until the Good is Better and Better, Best”. Now is our moment. Now is our time to become Best.
Another wise person has commented that “we never move forward by looking back”. I will not spend my limited time speaking about the past. I only need to comment that our City tried an experiment in 1983 when we voted out home rule essentially to differentiate ourselves from other large Illinois cities. This strategy has failed. Our Home Rule campaign has already identified a large number of strategies that you as our elected officials can implement for the betterment of our community with Home Rule power. We and you are powerless to implement these strategies without Home Rule.
Over 75% of the current voting population has never had the opportunity to vote on Home Rule
Over the next several months, we hope to have a full public education process – call it a debate if you like, about the specifics of Home Rule. For now, let us just say that it is a very important tool to allow ourselves and our elected officials – you- to effectively deal with problems and opportunities. Tonight I implore you to adopt an enabling resolution to certify the question of Home Rule to the voting citizens of the City of Rockford.
In this first action to certify the question to the electorate you do not even have to be in favor of Home Rule. Incidentally, did you know that less than 20,000 members of the 2005 registered voters were registered voters in Rockford in 1983? That’s right – over 75% of the current voting population has never had the opportunity to vote on Home Rule. This is why the Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce, Northern Illinois Building Contractors Association, League of Women Voters and Rockford Register Star among others has asked you to certify this question.
We feel that the appropriate manner for this issue to be put before the electorate is by resolution of the City Council. It is extremely important to the voters of Rockford to engage with you in a dialogue about Home Rule and how its tools could be used by our community.
Home Rule is not a one size fits all strategy
Home Rule is not a “one size fits all” strategy. It is flexible and adaptable to local circumstance. This is why it is a fundamental governing principle for over 70% of the population of our state including every single City in the State of Illinois with a population of 25,000 except Rockford.
By certifying the home rule question to a referendum by our citizens you demonstrate your support for fundamental American Democracy – let the electorate debate and decide the issue of how our City wants to shape it government.
Thank you for your time and good evening.