Carpentersville candidates must defend petitions

Two political newcomers will defend their nominating petitions before the Carpentersville electoral board this weekend. Resident Frank Stoneham challenged the candidacies of Don Burroway and Humberto García who must now do their best to keep their names on April's election ballot.

Stoneham ran for village trustee in 2007 and was himself taken off the ballot. He has filed objections against candidates in multiple elections since then.

Stoneham said there is nothing personal in the objections. He doesn't know either candidate. He said the reason for his challenge is to maintain a level of professionalism on the board.

“If you can't dot your i's and cross your t's on the petition, how can we trust you to deal with a $40 million budget?” Stoneham said.

On both candidates' petitions, Stoneham claims, names are printed instead of signed, signatures are forged and signors are either not registered at the address they list or reside outside of the village. Many signatures are challenged because of incomplete addresses — when people wrote “Cville” instead of Carpentersville, for example.

The electoral board will hear objections and defenses at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the board room at village hall, 1200 L.W. Besinger Drive.

Trustee Judy Sigwalt will chair the board on behalf of Village President Ed Ritter, who recused himself because he carried petitions for both candidates who have objections against them. Trustee Kay Teeter and Village Clerk Therese Wilde will round out the three-member board.

García said if his name is taken off the ballot, he will announce a write-in candidacy. If that doesn't work he will run again in the next election.

“This is a learning experience, a learning curve,” García said.

Both candidates said they believe the whole process is a waste of taxpayer money and village employee time. Wilde will likely have to go to Geneva to compare voter signatures on file with those on the petitions.

Burroway, for one, said he is optimistic his name will remain on the ballot.

“I met these people, I shook hands with these people,” Burroway said. “I talked to them and I saw them sign their names.”

Candidates will likely have to wait at least until next week to find out the result of the objection. Once the clerk compares signatures in Geneva the final decision can be made.