By Heart of Illinois ABC
BLOOMINGTON – A special meeting is set for Monday as the Bloomington City Council considers a formal reprimand of Alderwoman Jenn Carrillo for berating two incoming council members on social media.
The move to publicly rebuke Carrillo is led by Mayor-elect and current council member Mboka Mwilambwe. Only council members Carrillo, Jeff Crabill, and Julie Emig did not sign the petition requesting the special session.
Mwilambwe said earlier in the week that taking no action is tantamount to tacit approval of Carrillo’s behavior.
On election night, Carrillo posted on her Facebook page her intention to make the lives of newly-elected council members Sheila Montney and Nick Becker “a living hell for the next two years.”
Carrillo also called Montney and Becker “dangerous authoritarians” for accepting endorsements from the Bloomington Police officers’ union.
Carrillo’s comments came after all of the progressive candidates she backed from the “People’s First” slate went down to defeat in the April 6 election.
Besides a formal censure, the council plans to discuss collaboration on the city council, consider a call for increased civil discourse, and direct staff to draft a code of conduct for elected leaders.
Carrillo said last Monday that her colleagues already expressed their displeasure with her comments, and there’s no need for formal council action.
Monday’s virtual meeting is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m., prior to the previously scheduled committee-of-the-whole session, which starts at 6 p.m.
Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected].
