ROCKFORD Mayor-elect Clinton Morris vows to examine how tax dollars are being spent, infuse the city with more business opportunities and create a more inclusive decision-making process for aldermen.
Morris, who upset two-term mayor Mike Chamberlain on April 6, will be sworn in Monday as the city s top elected official.
The 61-year-old former City Council member is looking to add a culture of transparency among local officials, particularly aldermen. He wants to encourage open dialogue to eliminate the breakdown of communications that he says created a certain amount of animosity at City Council meetings. For Morris, working closely with City Council members is crucial to working on behalf of residents.
Morris gathered nearly 57% of the 2,319 ballots cast, defeating Chamberlain by 313 votes.
Chamberlain was seeking his third term as the city s mayor.
Morris, a former City Council member, could not be reached Tuesday night. However, in a questionnaire with the Rockford Register Star before the election, he emphasized lowering the burden of taxes on residents as his priority. The mayor should not place special interests above community interests at the taxpayer’s expense, Morris said. I will fiercely represent our taxpayers first.
Belvidere City Council races
• In the
2nd Ward, Republican Natalie Mulhall defeated independent candidate Catherine Rose Barnes for a City Council seat, according to unofficial election results.
See more information on public ballot questions
See sample ballots for Rockford, Boone and Winnebago counties
Voters across the region will head to the polls Tuesday to decide who will represent them on City Council and in other municipal offices, township boards and school boards. They ll also determine several tax measures, including a proposed increase for ambulance service in southwest Winnebago County and a new sales tax in Durand.
Here are some of the common questions voters have ahead of Election Day and a breakdown of key races on the ballot.
See more of our election coverage at rrstar.com/news/politics-elections.
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