Judge To Decide Candidates’ Fate
This morning a DuPage County judge will decide whether to overturn a decision to keep Naperville mayoral candidate Tiffany Stephens and city council candidate Derek McDaniel on the ballot.
The Naperville electoral board decided last week that the two could keep their spots, after hearing objections filed by Naperville resident Arian Ahmadpour to their nominating petitions. But Ahmadpour is now appealing that decision, asking for it to be overturned.
The objection to Stephens’ candidacy centered around a question of residency, while the objection to McDaniel’s was due to a lack of page numbering.
At last night’s Naperville City Council meeting, Stephens spoke out about harassment she has endured during the election process, saying she was “told not to run, that things would happen to my family.” She did not give specific names of those who had made the comments.
The case requesting the reversal of the electoral board decision will be heard this morning at 9:30 a.m.
Council Approves 2023 Levy
During Tuesday’s meeting, Naperville City Council approved the 2023 levy and tax assessment which totals $65,004,372.
The 2023 amount to be levied includes nearly $27 million in the total general corporate fund, and $17.9 million for the total debt service. The levy includes $15.96 million for the Naperville Library Fund and $4.2 million for the Naper Settlement Fund.
Earlier this month, council approved the budget for the 2023 fiscal year, which totals $603.5 million, an 11.6% increase from the 2022 budget.
The budget and levy and tax assessment will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
D203 Physical Education Waiver
The current school year might be at the midway point, but Naperville School District 203 officials want to make sure they have all of their bases covered with a physical education waiver request.
Illinois state law more recently has stipulated school districts should be providing physical education classes to elementary-aged students at least three days per week, on average. District 203 for years has only provided two days a week, which prompted the request from administrators to go through the formal process of seeking a waiver.
Space and staffing were cited as reasons District 203 has, and continues to, limit physical education courses to two days per week.
On the heels of COVID-19 and its impact on learning, several board members expressed concern with the limited amount of physical activity, though administrators indicated there are other overtures in the classroom setting to encourage movement.
New Downtown Naperville Charity Event this February
The Downtown Naperville Alliance (DNA) is launching a new charity event in the new year. Dine Around Downtown Naperville with the Mayor will have its inaugural run on February 22.
Participants will gather at Elements at Water Street at 6 p.m. for some drinks, appetizers, and to pop a balloon to discover which of the ten participating restaurants they’ll be dining at that night. They’ll then head to their destination for a 3-course-meal with drinks.
For the inaugural run of the event, Mayor Steve Chirico has picked NCTV17 as the beneficiary.
Tickets are available on the Downtown Naperville website.
