Downers Grove Township

Clerk

Lorraine Grimsby

The Town Clerk is vested with many duties and responsibilities throughout the year. Some of the legal responsibilities are maintaining records for the Township and highway departments, administering oaths, taking township board minutes and completing the proper filings with the county and state. Many other duties are performed by the Town Clerk, such as: creating agendas and board meeting packets, conducting the annual town meeting, arranging press releases and public notices, serving as Freedom of Information Act Officer and your Local Election Official. 

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Annual Town Meeting

An important part of the Clerk’s job is holding the Annual Town Meeting (“ATM”). The Township Clerk is the only township official acting in an official capacity at the ATM. Everyone else attends as registered voters of the Township. By State law the ATM is held on the second Tuesday of April unless this occurs during Passover when the date may be changed. The Township Clerk selects the venue where the ATM is held each year. Notice of the time and place is published in the local newspaper and posted at various libraries in the Township 10 days before the meeting.

The Clerk must obtain from the DuPage county election commission a copy of all registered voters in the township. Only registered voters of the township may vote at the ATM. The agenda for the meeting is adopted at a regular Township Board meeting at least ten days before the meeting. The Clerk’s duties at the ATM include: calling the meeting to order, reading the rules of the meeting and the legal notice, calling for moderator nominations, administrating the Oath of Office to the moderator, reading of the financial statement (unless waived by vote of attendees) and any resolutions that will be presented for vote. Cub/Boy Scouts or Brownie/Girl Scouts present the colors and lead in the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the ATM. All in attendance have a chance to speak on matters pertaining to the Township. Many residents of the Township take part in this annual meeting process every year.

Local Election Official

The Downers Grove Township Clerk is your local election authority responsible for fulfilling all requirements leading up to the primary and consolidated elections. This process begins in December when the Clerk notifies the chairman of each political party not less than 30 days before the caucus of their obligation to inform the Town Clerk of the time and location of their caucus. The chairman of each party replies to the Clerk not less than 20 days before the caucus of the time and place of the caucus. At least ten days before the caucus the Clerk publishes a notice in the local paper of the time and location of each party’s caucus. Each party sets the rules and procedures for their respective caucus. The Township pays the cost of each caucus.

Once the candidates have been nominated, the party chairman files a Certificate of Nomination by Caucus, listing each candidate and the office each candidate is seeking, with the Clerk’s office 113 to 106 days before the election, signed by the chairman and secretary of the caucus. The filing includes for each candidate a Statement of Candidacy, receipt for filing a Statement of Economic Interest with the county clerk and the Loyalty Oath (optional). The candidate for Assessor must also include proof of his or her qualifications pursuant to the provisions of the Property Tax Code.

The Clerk mails to each candidate a Notice of Obligation (form D-5) within two days of filing of nomination papers. The Clerk notifies each party chairman that he or she will be holding a lottery to decide ballot placement. Each chairman is invited to attend or send a representative. When the lottery is done the nominees must be certified and placed on the ballot in the order they appear on the caucus certificate. In addition to the names, the party name, and the number to be elected, the term of office must be included on the certification. All nominating papers are kept for a period of six months. This concludes the Clerk’s official duties leading up to the election.

Board Meeting Agendas, Minutes & Videos

Location & Time Change

Board Meeting Playlist
Annual Town Meeting Playlist
Board Meeting Documents

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act request is a procedure to request information relative to Township business to inspect Township records and obtain copies of Township records.

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Learn about FOIA

Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the Township is required to maintain a single central office file of written requests to inspect or copy Township records. The Township asks all requests be submitted by form, emailed or addressed to Township Clerk’s Office, 4340 Prince Street, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, where such central file will be maintained.

Any member of the general public may inspect records, obtain copies of records, certified upon request, and obtain information by:

Clerk's Office

Coming in person to the Township Clerk’s Office, 4340 Prince, Downers Grove between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday to complete a request on Freedom of Information form. Using this form is suggested but is not required.

Clerk's Office on Google Maps

Freedom of Information Request Form

Fill out the Freedom of Information Form online and submit your request via the web.

Freedom of Information Form

Mail or Email

Writing to or sending an email to the Township Office to request information. A request should include your name, address, date and daytime phone number. Describe the information needed with sufficient detail to enable the Township to locate the requested records.

Email the Clerk

The Township Clerk will respond to a request for public records within 5 business days after receipt of the request, and has 21 days to reply for commercial enterprise requests. If your request is denied, you may ­appeal. Appeals should be addressed to the Public Access Counselor at Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Payment of costs for copying information requested (if more than 50 pages) is due upon delivery.

Duplication of Records Fee

If applicable, the first 50 pages, legal or letter size are free. Additional pages at $0.15 per page.

Certification

For certification in writing with the Township seal, $1.00 per page.

Freedom of Information Officers

Lorraine Grimsby, Town Clerk
Phone: (630) 719-6613
Email: clerk@dgtownship.com

Susan Mistretta, Deputy Clerk
Phone: (630) 719-6612
Email: susan.mistretta@dgtownship.com

Notice Under The American With Disabilities Act

DOWNERS GROVE TOWNSHIP – DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

In accordance with Title II of the American with disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), Downers Grove Township will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, meetings or activities.

Effective Communications
The Township will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the Township’s meetings, services and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing or vision impairments.

Employment
The Township does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title I of the ADA.

Modifications to Policies and Procedures
The Township will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its meetings, services and activities. For example, individuals with service animals are welcome in the Township offices, even when pets are generally prohibited.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of the Township, should contact the Township Clerk as soon as possible but no later that 48 hours before the scheduled event. The Township Clerk and her contact information is as follows:

Downers Grove Township Clerk
Lorraine Grimsby
4340 Prince Street
Downers Grove, Illinois 60515
Phone: (630) 719-6613
Email: clerk@dgtownship.com

The ADA does not require the Township to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its meetings or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.

Complaints that a meeting or service or activity of the Township is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to the Township Clerk. The Township will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

Download the Notice Under The American With Disabilities Act.

Clerk Contact Form

In order to better serve you, please fill out the Contact Form below, our staff will respond as soon as possible.

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