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OUR VIEW
This opinion piece represents the views of The Courier’s editorial board.
Elgin residents voting in the Nov. 4 general election will decide the fates of 14 city-charter amendments, but one — Proposition L — could limit government transparency.
The ballot measure reads: “An amendment to the city of Elgin charter requiring initiative ordinances adopted or approved by the electors to be published on the city’s website instead of the official newspaper of the city.”
While the proposition only applies to a narrowly defined public notice, it could open the door to keeping other bulletins out of the newspaper and residents in the dark.
We urge the electorate to say no to Prop L.
Elgin officials say the proposition is on the ballot to comply with state law. City leaders believe they have residents’ best interests in mind, but their intention may have dire consequences they didn’t foresee.
Under state statutes, municipalities must designate an official newspaper and publish required notices in it. Unlike a city website, which may take several deep clicks to find a legal notice (provided the link isn’t broken), a newspaper provides a permanent record at your fingertips.
In addition, public notices in a newspaper of the government’s business cannot be altered, hacked or erased, unlike a digital posting.
If state requirements for public notices in a newspaper are bypassed, which could start with Prop L, city personnel could face legal penalties if something isn’t posted correctly or on time.
The purpose of publishing in a newspaper is not nostalgic, it’s about a verifiable, permanent, unalterable record.
Newspapers are more than just a printed product. Today papers have their own websites and other platforms — such as The Courier’s digital billboards/TV screens — that have far greater reach than a government site.
Nor is moving public notices online a cost-saving measure as legals run at the lowest classified rate. From a marketing standpoint, that’s excellent value for reaching Elgin residents and fulfilling the city’s legal obligation. If the city removes the newspaper- publication requirement entirely, it may need to invest significantly more in systems, staffing and oversight to match the reliability the paper already delivers.
Why do newspapers matter for public notices? Because of “passive discovery.” People may open the paper to read about a high school football game, new businesses or crime reports, but as they turn the pages they will see the public notices — for example, a legal statement about an environmental-impact study. On city websites alone, few residents intentionally go to “public notices.” By relying solely on city websites, active civic information becomes hidden from many residents.
Prop L is ambiguously written and creates a slippery slope for more public notices — bids, requests for proposals, zoning and annexation issues, public hearings and the like — to be removed from a newspaper when city staffers feel like it.
Don’t let Elgin go dark on governmental business. Vote no on Prop L.
