Lake Villa mayor hopeful off ballot
Barring a successful appeal, the race for Lake Villa mayor will be uncontested after a Jan. 6 finding by the village's electoral board. It found Mona Mustafa did not properly file a statement of economic interests with the Lake County clerk's office and did not receive a receipt for it, and was ruled ineligible to appear on the April 4 ballot. Mustafa had filed to run for mayor against James McDonald, a village trustee who is seeking to replace retiring longtime mayor, Frank Loffredo. Her petition was challenged by village resident William F. Burns. Mustafa had challenged the petitions of McDonald and incumbent trustee candidate Kevin Kruckeberg, but withdrew those actions, according to James P. Bateman, the attorney for the electoral board.