City of Belvidere - Backgrounder
Written by a machine from this government’s own published pages, and current as of September 13, 2026. Rosters and meeting times change; where this and the government’s own site disagree, theirs is right. How this is written
Overview
Belvidere is the county seat of Boone County, Illinois, located in the north-central part of the state along the Kishwaukee River. The city is approximately 75 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and 12 miles east of Rockford. With a 2020 Census population of 25,339, Belvidere is an industrial community surrounded by rich farmland, known as the “City of Murals” for its public art installations throughout its historic downtown districts. The city encompasses 12.38 square miles (12.14 square miles of land).
Belvidere operates under a mayor-council form of government with an aldermanic city council. The city is governed by a mayor, city clerk, and treasurer, along with ten aldermen—two elected from each of the city’s five wards. The city’s government oversees municipal operations including police, fire, public works, water and sewer services, community development, and various appointed boards and commissions.
Form of government
- Type: Mayor-council, aldermanic system
- Wards: Five wards, with two aldermen elected from each ward
- Terms: Four-year terms for mayor, city clerk, treasurer, and all aldermen
- Staggering: Aldermanic seats within each ward are staggered so that one seat from each ward is elected every two years
- Current officials:
- Mayor: Clinton Morris, term expires April 30, 2029 (elected April 6, 2021; sworn in May 3, 2021)
- City Clerk: Erica Bluege, term expires April 30, 2029
- Treasurer: Mary Volkey, term expires April 30, 2029
The City Council
Composition: The City Council consists of 10 aldermen (two from each of five wards) plus the mayor, who presides.
Meeting schedule:
- Regular City Council meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers at City Hall (401 Whitney Blvd.)
- When a meeting falls on a legal holiday, it is held the next business day at the same time
- Meetings are streamed to YouTube
Committee of the Whole: The full council meets as a Committee of the Whole twice monthly to review matters before formal action:
- 2nd Monday of each month at 6:00 PM: Building, Zoning and Planning; Public Works
- 4th Monday of each month at 6:00 PM: Public Safety; Finance and Personnel
Important note on Committee of the Whole records: The Committee of the Whole publishes agendas and packets but does not publish minutes. The video recording (streamed to YouTube) is the only record of what was actually discussed.
Current aldermen
| Ward | Alderman | Term Expires |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Albertini | April 30, 2027 |
| 1 | Clayton Stevens | April 30, 2029 |
| 2 | Rory Peterson | April 30, 2027 |
| 2 | Jerry Hoiness | April 30, 2029 |
| 3 | Wendy Frank | April 30, 2027 |
| 3 | Sandra Gramkowski | April 30, 2029 |
| 4 | Mike McGee | April 30, 2027 |
| 4 | Matt Fleury | April 30, 2029 |
| 5 | Ric Brereton | April 30, 2027 |
| 5 | Chris Montalbano | April 30, 2029 |
Boards and commissions
Planning & Zoning Commission: Reviews planning and land use matters. Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. Publishes agendas. Note: This commission also sits as the Zoning Board of Appeals when hearing variance and special use requests, so there is no separate ZBA.
Historic Preservation Commission: Reviews matters related to historic preservation and locally landmarked properties. Meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. Publishes agendas.
Board of Fire & Police Commissioners: Handles civil service matters, testing, and hiring for police and fire departments. Meets irregularly. Publishes agendas when meetings are scheduled.
Bodies that exist but publish no agendas or minutes: The following boards and commissions are appointed by the mayor and operate as separate entities or with limited public documentation:
- Firefighters’ Pension Board
- Police Pension Board
- Library Board (governing Ida Public Library, a separate legal entity)
- Boone County Council on Aging Board (the city appoints some members; separate legal entity)
- Community Building Complex of Boone County Board (the city appoints some members; separate legal entity)
- Fire Department #2 Foreign Fire Insurance Fund
Note: There is no separate Liquor Commission; liquor licensing is handled administratively by the City Clerk. Economic development is handled by Growth Dimensions, a separate organization, not a city board.
Departments and staff
City Hall (401 Whitney Blvd., 815-544-2612):
- Mayor: Clinton Morris
- City Clerk: Erica Bluege
- Deputy City Clerk: (name not published)
- City Treasurer: Cory Thornton (Note: sources list Mary Volkey as elected Treasurer and Cory Thornton as City Treasurer on the staff directory; this apparent discrepancy is not explained in the sources)
- City Attorney: Michael Drella
- Finance/Budget Officer: Sarah Turnipseed
Public Works Department (815-544-9256):
- Public Works Director: Jordan Keck
- Superintendent of Water/Street/WWTP: (name not published)
Water Department: 815-544-6622
Sewer Department: 815-544-6622
Wastewater Treatment Plant: 815-544-2072
Community Development (815-547-7177):
- Building Director: Craig Wilcox
- Code Compliance: Cara Whetsel
- Planning Department: Gina DelRose
Fire Department:
- Fire Chief: Shawn Schadle (815-544-2242)
- Station One: 815-544-2735
- Station Two: 815-544-2740
Police Department:
- Police Chief: Shane Woody (815-544-9626)
- Police Administration: 815-544-9626
- Police Dispatch: 815-544-2135
Meeting cadence at a glance
| Body | Day/Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| City Council | 1st & 3rd Monday, 6:00 PM | City Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd. |
| Committee of the Whole (Building, Zoning, Planning; Public Works) | 2nd Monday, 6:00 PM | City Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd. |
| Committee of the Whole (Public Safety; Finance & Personnel) | 4th Monday, 6:00 PM | City Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd. |
| Planning & Zoning Commission | 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 PM | City Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd. |
| Historic Preservation Commission | 4th Tuesday, 5:30 PM | City Council Chambers, 401 Whitney Blvd. |
| Board of Fire & Police Commissioners | Irregular | Not published |
Where to find more
Primary sources:
- City of Belvidere official website: belvidereil.gov
- City Council agendas, packets, and minutes: Posted as PDFs on the city website approximately 2-3 days before meetings
- Video archives: Past City Council and Committee of the Whole meetings on YouTube (linked from city website)
- City Clerk’s Office: 815-544-2612 (FOIA requests and public records)
Legal framework:
- Belvidere Municipal Code: Available on Municode
- Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 65 ILCS 5 (Illinois Municipal Code): Statutory authority for municipal operations
Note on document format: As of the sources reviewed, most current city documents are posted as scanned images (PDFs) and require OCR for text extraction.