Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Citizens and aldermen have been complaining about rental properties – especially those owned by out-of-town landlords – for a long, long time. After considering but never passing a landlord registry, perhaps polling the community is the answer.

Aldermen will vote Nov. 18 whether to put an advisory referendum on the March 17 ballot. But Ald. Brad Carlson pointed out the public elects aldermen to make decisions.

“We deal with very important ordinances every week,” Carlson said. “What other ordinances should we throw down the path of an advisory referendum in March?” Furthermore, Carlson said absentee landlords are not a problem in his ward, which, he said is home to more rental properties than any other.

“If your landlords are just so much better than the landlords in the rest of the city,” responded Ald. Shawn Gregory, “then I don’t know what to tell you.”

Wednesday’s meeting was perhaps most eventful for city clerk Chuck Redpath, who took a spill. While he said he only suffered a leg cramp, he was taken to a hospital to be checked out. Thursday morning Redpath reported via text message that most of the problem was dehydration – and he is already back at work.