Campton Hills gets 'back to work' after bitter election
Campton Hills Village President Harry Blecker plans to appoint a former political foe to lead a key advisory board.
Don Sheluga, who was trustee candidate on former Village President Patsy Smith's slate in the April election, is poised to be appointed a chairman of the village's plan commission Tuesday night.
Sheluga, who also served on the village's zoning board of appeals, said he was approached by Blecker for the post after Rolf Fredrick stepped down.
"The election's over. It's time to get back to work," said Sheluga, who, along with all the members of Smith's slate, lost on April 7. "I'm excited about it. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. Harry is looking for who in the village has experience and who can help guide things."
Blecker said Sheluga's appointment was about finding the best person for the role and not necessarily an attempt at extending an olive branch.
"If it's the right guy, it shouldn't matter if he ran against my slate or not," Blecker said. "Don's got the right view of the village, the way the village should be going."
Sheluga's appointment is for a year.
Blecker and trustees also must fill two trustee vacancies: one created when Blecker won the election and became president and the second from the May 18 resignation of Trustee Al Lenkaitis, who moved out of the village last year and now knows his job downstate will be permanent.
Both vacant seats have terms that run through spring 2017.
Mike Turgeon, another trustee candidate on Smith's failed slate, said he hopes Blecker and the board will appoint either him or Steve Galloway, another trustee candidate on Smith's slate.
Turgeon said he and Galloway both want to serve and have the best interests of Campton Hills and its residents in mind.
"We weren't really running against (Blecker) and his slate as people. We were running against dysfunction. Things weren't getting done," Turgeon said. "We spent time, energy and money to commit to the community to run for one of the spots. We're the kind of people who mean what we say."
Blecker said 10 applications for the first vacancy have been received and three finalists will be interviewed Tuesday night, although neither is Turgeon nor Galloway.
Blecker didn't rule them out for the new vacancy created by Lenkaitis.
"They both applied, and they will be considered. We've reached out to a lot of people. We do have another seat open, too. It's not complete yet."