Campton Hills pro-village candidates end ahead

Voters put the future of Campton Hills in the hands of candidates who support the new municipality's existence Tuesday, capping a bitter local election season that, at times, pitted neighbor against neighbor.

With all 12 precincts reporting, voters elected three incumbents and three newcomers, who also support the village, to eight elected offices sought by 17 people, according to unofficial results.

Carolyn Higgins, who ran on a platform to help dissolve the village, beat Karen Dowd in the race for village clerk by 61 votes, results indicate.

Village President Patsy Smith, who was opposed by write-in candidate Robert Young, said the election was a referendum on whether the village should continue to exist, and voters responded with a resounding yes.

"I personally am grateful the voters are going to allow us the opportunity to finish what we started," she said.

This was the first election since the village incorporated via referendum last spring.

A slate of eight candidates promised to dissolve the municipality if elected to village offices, but the only winner among them was Higgins.

She said late Tuesday that her anti-village stance would not prevent her from doing the job voters assigned her.

"I ran for this position regardless of what (votes) the others came up with," Higgins said. "I'm a resident of this village and, if the village is intact and running, I have a right to be a part of it, as does anyone who is elected."

Late Tuesday, anti-village activists and some pro-village candidates, however, still were questioning vote totals.

Chris Baldwin, chairman of the Stop Campton Hills Public Action Committee, which sponsored the anti-village slate, said he expected higher voter turnout than unofficial results showed. He declined to comment further until the totals become official.

"I want to see what happens," Baldwin said. "I don't think we're done here. I'm fairly certain we're not."

Those elected to six village board trustee positions were incumbents Jim Kopec, Mike Millette and Al Lenkaitis Jr., and newcomers Laura Andersen, Susan George and John Strauss -- all of whom ran under the Candidates For Campton Hills committee. A lottery will determine which three trustees serve 2-year terms and which three serve 4-year terms.

The margin of defeat for anti-village candidates William Brown, William Lundborg, Frederick Robinson, Susan Secondi, Richard Seehafer and Marty White ranged from 125 to 227 votes, unofficial results show.

Write-in totals for Young won't be available until after the election, but Smith garnered 2,204 votes, according to unofficial results.

Whether the outcome of Tuesday's election ends fierce bickering between Campton Hills residents who either support the village or claim it will lead to tax increases remains to be seen. The Stop Campton Hills group has proposed a referendum on whether the village should continue to exist for the November election.

Andersen, who tied with Kopec as the top vote-getter among trustee candidates, was positive about the future.

"I think once people realize some of the things they're worried about happening are not going to happen -- and that we do have the power to make the area what we expect it to be -- there will be a lot of healing," said Andersen, who received 1,949 votes. "A majority of the people have spoken, and the whole community will realize it."

For her part, Higgins said she wants to improve the accuracy of board meeting minutes and provide more prompt notices of public meetings.