A major reshuffling of the Naperville City Council is coming in 2023, with the mayor and three council members not seeking reelection in the spring.
With the 2022 midterms over, attention is now focused on the April 4 consolidated elections during which residents will choose the people who have the most direct impact on their property taxes and how that money is spent.
Candidates for Naperville mayor and the council have a few days left to gather signatures before filing their paperwork with the city clerk. Nominating petitions must be submitted between Monday and Nov. 28.
Those seeking to run for the Naperville Park Board and Naperville District 203 and Indian Prairie District 204 school boards will do the same in mid-December.
In July, Mayor Steve Chirico said he would not seek reelection to a third term leading the state’s fourth largest city.
Naperville Councilman Benny White, a former Indian Prairie District 204 School Board member, and Scott Wehrli, a Naperville Liquor Commission for 29 years and 17-year North Central College Board member, have announced they plan to run for the four-year mayoral term.
Also open are the four-year council seats held by Paul Hinterlong, Patty Gustin, Patrick Kelly and Theresa Sullivan.
Hinterlong cannot run again because of term limits and Gustin, recently elected to the DuPage County Board in District 5, won’t be seeking council reelection.
In a Facebook video message posted Thursday, Sullivan said she would not be seeking reelection.
“It’s just been an amazing honor and experience to serve Naperville for the last four years. … It was life altering, life changing,” Sullivan said.
While proud of her contributions to the city, she said she wants a more private life and a chance to focus on new activities.
Among those who have said they plan to run for a council seat are Naperville Park Board Commissioner Josh McBroom; Derek McDaniel, named a Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce 4 Under 40 Achievement Award winner in 2020; Nag Jaiswal, who ran unsuccessfully for Naperville Park Board in 2021; and Ashfaq Syed, co-chair of the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee in Naperville.
If more than four candidates file for mayor or more than 16 candidates file for council seats, a consolidated primary election will be held Feb. 28 to narrow the field. The consolidated election is April 4.
The filing period for candidates seeking four-year terms on the park board or school boards is Dec. 12-19.
Park board seats currently held by commissioners Rich Janor, Josh McBroom and Marie Todd are up for election.
There are three seats open on the Naperville District 203 and Indian Prairie District 204 boards.
The District 203 open seats are currently held by Tony Casey, Kristine Gericke and Joseph Kozminski.
Natasha Grover, Justin Karubas and Mark Rising hold the District 204 seats up for election.
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