City Hall Veteran Tapped As Ward 1 Alderman In Aurora

AURORA, IL — A City Hall veteran of 35 years, was tapped as the next alderman for Ward 1, Mayor Richard Irvin announced Tuesday night.

Dan Barreiro, a 45-year resident of the ward, will fill the seat vacated by former Alderman Emmanuel Llamas until the April 2025 general election. City Council will vote on his appointment during the next meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 13.

"When you think of selfless service to the Aurora community, certainly the name of Dan Barreiro is at the top of the list," Irvin said in a statement. "Not only does he bring the experience of an elected official to the table, but he also brings decades of institutional knowledge about the inner workings of city government. Both of those, coupled with his many volunteer roles in the community, make him an ideal fit to serve as alderman of Ward 1, where he has lived for more than four decades, and raised his family."

Barreiro has served in myriad roles at Aurora City Hall. Having started as an intern in 1986, he became an administrative assistant in the Mayor's Office in 1988 before holding titles including assistant director of personnel, assistant finance director and assistant chief of staff. He retired in 2021 after working as chief community services officer for 15 years.

"My learning curve will be short since I spent 35 years as a City of Aurora employee serving in many capacities under five different administrations," Barreiro said in a statement. "My relationship with former and current elected officials on the east side is great. I have had the opportunity to speak at various east side community groups as a City representative and school board member."

He currently serves as the vice president of the East Aurora Board of Education, having been first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021. He will resign from the position to serve as alderman.

"This is a difficult decision for me since it requires me to step down from the East Aurora School Board," said Barreiro, a graduate of East Aurora High School. "However, a school district's success is also dependent on quality of life, public safety, economic development, and other factors outside of its scope. A strong ward alderman can assist a school district with many of the external factors necessary for success."

The appointed alderman has a bachelor's degree in political science with an emphasis in local government. He holds a master's in public administration with an emphasis in urban management from Northern Illinois University.