Alsip voters have agreed to loosen the very term-limit rules that Mayor John Ryan once championed as a village trustee a decade ago, a change that could now let Ryan himself seek a fourth term in office. The referendum, decided in the Nov. 3 general election, raises the cap for mayor, clerk and trustee from three consecutive four-year terms to four, starting with the next municipal election.
According to Chicago Sun-Times, a preliminary tally showed 3,139 votes in favor, or about 63%, though Patch reported a different unofficial count of 3,132 yes votes (63.78%) against 1,822 no votes (36.78%). Either way, the measure cleared comfortably, allowing a person to hold or seek the mayor, clerk or trustee office for up to four consecutive four-year terms in that role going forward.
A Measure Ryan Once Fought For — Now One That Could Help Him
The twist at the center of the story is that Ryan himself led the push for Alsip's original three-term cap back in 2016, when he was still a village trustee. That year, voters approved the initial limits by a wide margin, with 3,832 of 4,716 voters in favor, more than 80% of the vote, per election records cited by the Chicago outlet.
Then-Mayor Patrick Kitching opposed those original limits and vetoed the ballot question before the village board overrode his veto, the station's report notes. Kitching argued that local term limits could prevent officials from gaining experience and improving at the job, while Ryan countered at the time that the mayor made every attempt to obstruct voters' rights, saying simply, “Just let the voters decide.”
What The Expanded Limit Means For Ryan's Future
Ryan is now serving his third term as mayor, having first won the office in 2017 by just 60 votes before running unopposed in 2025. With the new four-term cap in place, he could run again in 2029 and seek another mayoral term, which would mean an additional four years in office if he runs and wins, along with continued taxpayer-funded pay and additional service credits that would increase his public-sector pension.
Village Clerk Renee Harding has said that if the measure passed, Ryan would be allowed to run for one more term. Ryan has been a controversial figure in recent years, and a federal investigation has focused in part on contractors involved with Alsip's municipal government, according to the same report.
In a statement, Ryan said, “The voters have spoken definitively. Their mandate establishes this new standard based on the verifiable stability, management and over $500 million in economic development our administration has facilitated here since I was elected in 2017.” He added that his administration would continue pursuing growth benefiting every Alsip resident and local institution.
The Alsip village board approved a resolution in August to place the new question on the ballot, stating that experienced leadership and qualified public service promote efficient and stable municipal management, the outlet reported. Total turnout on the Alsip question reached nearly 5,000 votes, with some ballots cast to retain the existing limit.
Neighboring Suburbs Saw Mixed Results On Similar Questions
Alsip wasn't alone on the ballot. Calumet Park, Crestwood, Highland Park, Markham and Niles all had ballot questions in the Nov. 3 election implementing new limits on how many years elected officials can serve in municipal office, according to the Sun-Times.
Crestwood voters approved increasing their own limit from two four-year terms to three full four-year terms, beginning with the next municipal election, per Patch. The Chicago outlet reported that measure passing with 91% voter support, while Patch's unofficial count showed 2,749 yes votes (85.45%) against 469 no votes (14.56%).
Highland Park voters approved a binding referendum capping officials at two cumulative four-year terms, or up to 10 years if a two-term official is appointed to fill a vacated seat, according to The Record. The Sun-Times reported that measure receiving support from 75% of voters, while The Record's unofficial results put support at 74%.
Markham's referendum passed with 92% voter support, limiting service to two full four-year terms in the same office starting with the next local election, while Calumet Park's measure passed with 90% voting yes, capping service at three consecutive full four-year terms in the same office, per the Sun-Times report.
Niles produced the most conflicting results among the suburbs. The Sun-Times reported its referendum was approved by 68% of voters, which would have limited trustees to 16 years in office. But Journal & Topics reported the opposite outcome, saying the binding measure — which would have allowed trustees to serve up to four four-year terms, or 16 years — was defeated, with unofficial results showing 4,420 voters (59.3%) opposed and 3,033 (40.7%) in favor. Under Niles' existing rules, trustees are limited to three four-year terms, or 12 years, and mayors to two four-year terms, or eight years, according to that outlet.
Term limits remain uncommon in the Chicago area even as most major U.S. cities outside Chicago itself have mayoral limits, the Sun-Times noted, pointing to Skokie and Tinley Park as two other suburbs with municipal term limits already on the books.
