ROCKFORD Officials ushered in a new era for the City Council on Monday, bidding farewell to two long-serving aldermen and two others who didn t seek reelection while welcoming five new members.
Among those leaving City Council were Venita Hervey, D-5, who served for 12 years, and Ann Thompson-Kelly, D-7, who served for 20 years.
Mayor Tom McNamara said both were fierce advocates for their wards who pursued and won significant investment in infrastructure that included the reconstruction of South Main Street and West State Street.
McNamara said Hervey was known for her tough questions on the floor of council chambers that made us better and Thompson-Kelly set an example for other aldermen to follow.
ELECTION PREVIEW: Two Marks battle to leave theirs on 14th Ward, Rockford wrex.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wrex.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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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.
ROCKFORD Early voting begins Friday in the April 6 consolidated election, which features five contested City Council races.
Once early voting opens, Rockford residents can vote 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Rockford Board of Election Commissioners, 301 S. Sixth St. Early voting will also be available Saturday, April 3, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Voters can cast their ballots at their designated polling place on Election Day.
In addition, voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot by logging on to voterockford.com. As of Wednesday, 103 people had requested a vote-by-mail ballot, said Stacey Bixby, executive director of the Rockford Board of Elections.