Every single one of the Normal Town council members are well…sworn in to the office in accordance to the Illinois Municipal’s Code, but some community members are concerned that there is a provision within the Normal Municipal Code that the oath must be taken in accordance to local code…Does that mean we have no Normal? No council?
The Elections section of the Municipal Code is as follows:
All officers of the Town of Normal, whether elected or appointed, shall, within 10 days of such appointment or election and before they enter upon the duties of their respective offices, take and subscribe to the following oath or affirmation.
The Affirmation is as follows:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois and the Ordinances of the Town of Normal and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of________________________ in the Town of Normal, Illinois, to the best of my ability.” Said oath shall be executed in writing and shall be filed with the Town Clerk of the Town of Normal.
But all of the council members and the mayor of Normal Chris Koos sign an oath that says, “the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois” and that’s it. There is no “the Ordinances of the Town of Normal.”
There is currently no ethics officer or code of ethics to hold the town accountable to basics such as these. The town staff are those who hold power in making the elected swear by code.
Brian Day, Corporation Counsel for Normal, said, “We use the version of the oaths set out in section 3 of the 1970 Illinois Constitution, as required by article 3.1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, which postdates the Town’s ordinance. The oaths are not incorrect.”
So that leads a question: Why have a Normal Municipal Code at all?
Normal uses the local municipal code as justification for a plethora of fees, taxes and rules residents and businesses in Normal must follow.
“Even if we were to assume that the oaths were not technically correct (they are), there is nothing that would void any decision,” said Day.
But why is it Normal goes by the Illinois Municipal Code when it comes Oath-Swearing…and not everything else? Is the Oath-Swearing section within the Normal Municipal Code illegal in that it doesn’t follow Illinois Municipal Code section 3.1?
Joe’s Station House was fined for violating local municipal code, something the Normal Town council is only partially going by.
Bloomington had the same discrepancy back in 2017 and has since change their oath-taking process.
