Elmhurst Mayor's Emergency Powers May End

ELMHURST, IL — For more than a year, Elmhurst's mayor has been given emergency powers because of the pandemic.

The added authority continued when Mayor Steve Morley handed the reins to his successor, Scott Levin, in early May. Since March 2020, aldermen have repeatedly enacted short-term extensions of the powers.

At Monday's meeting, the City Council again granted the authority to the mayor. But Levin said it may be the last time.

"I realize it doesn't look like much of an emergency," Levin said. "We've tied it to the governor's order, which is supposed to expire at the end of June. You may not see it on the next agenda because things are that encouraging. Here we are sitting without masks."

In most cases over the last year, all the aldermen but one supported extending the powers. Then-Ward 3 Alderman Michael Bram supported the additional authority in the pandemic's first weeks, but then voted against extensions.

At a February meeting, Bram, whose term ended in early May, said the mayor had not used the powers since October. He also said the council had procedures in place to speed up approval of actions in emergencies.

In the April 6 election, Bram lost to Levin. At his last meeting, Bram voted with the majority for the expanded powers.

In the first few weeks of the crisis, Morley used his emergency powers in a few ways. He suspended delinquent charges and discontinuation of utility services. And he extended the payment of vehicle license fees for city stickers.

Like other towns, Morley allowed for off-premises consumption of originally packaged beer, wine and liquor related to certain restaurant liquor licenses.

Additionally, Morley suspended the issuance of solicitor permits and those that already existed.