June 25, 2023
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Joliet Township board may declare Ibarra’s seat vacant but not Ferrell’s

By Felix Sarver
Karl Ferrell Joliet Township Trustee was absent for the Joliet Township regular board meeting. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Joliet.

Karl Ferrell Joliet Township Trustee was absent for the Joliet Township regular board meeting. Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in Joliet. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Joliet Township officials are set to declare an open spot on the board after the resignation of one trustee, but they will not yet vote on whether they’ll do the same for another trustee whose felony record disqualifies him from sitting on the board.

On the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is a resolution to declare a vacancy on the board following the resignation of former township trustee Suzanna Ibarra. She resigned as township trustee May 1, after she was elected to the City Council in the April 4 election.

The meeting will be held 5 p.m. at the township’s office at 175 W. Jefferson St., Joliet.

Not on Tuesday’s agenda is a resolution to declare a vacancy for the seat of township trustee Karl Ferrell. The township board could still yet vote on such a measure at its next meeting June 13.

Karl Ferrell sits in on City of Joliet Land Use and Legislative Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 13th.

Karl Ferrell sits in on City of Joliet Land Use and Legislative Committee meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2022. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Calls to Joliet Township Supervisor Angel Contreras about the agenda were not returned Monday.

On April 27, the Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa upheld a Will County judge’s ruling that Ferrell is not qualified to sit on the board because of his past felony record. The Illinois Township Code does not allow those with felony convictions to hold township office.

Following the appellate court’s decision, Ferrell’s attorney, John Partelow, said he’s potentially looking at filing a petition for leave to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Otherwise, Partelow said he’s hopeful Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will eventually grant Ferrell a pardon over his past felony convictions so he can be qualified to stay on the township board.

“We’re sort of in limbo, but we still have that pending,” Partelow said.

Third Appellate Court Justice Mary McDade pointed out one issue with Ferrell’s petition for pardon, which is that even if Pritzker grants it, it would not “change the fact that he still had the felony convictions at the time he took the oath to serve as Joliet Township trustee and therefore was ineligible.”

However, Partelow said he’s asked that Ferrell’s pardon to be retroactive if Pritzker grants it.

“It would resolve that question,” he said.