ROCKFORD Officials ushered in a new era for the City Council on Monday, bidding farewell to two long-serving aldermen and two others who didn t seek reelection while welcoming five new members.
Among those leaving City Council were Venita Hervey, D-5, who served for 12 years, and Ann Thompson-Kelly, D-7, who served for 20 years.
Mayor Tom McNamara said both were fierce advocates for their wards who pursued and won significant investment in infrastructure that included the reconstruction of South Main Street and West State Street.
McNamara said Hervey was known for her tough questions on the floor of council chambers that made us better and Thompson-Kelly set an example for other aldermen to follow.
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ROCKFORD Early voting begins Friday in the April 6 consolidated election, which features five contested City Council races.
Once early voting opens, Rockford residents can vote 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Rockford Board of Election Commissioners, 301 S. Sixth St. Early voting will also be available Saturday, April 3, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Voters can cast their ballots at their designated polling place on Election Day.
In addition, voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot by logging on to voterockford.com. As of Wednesday, 103 people had requested a vote-by-mail ballot, said Stacey Bixby, executive director of the Rockford Board of Elections.