Grayslake lawyer named Avon Township trustee

A majority of Avon Township's elected officials have approved the appointment of a trustee who was unsuccessful at gaining office when he ran with them on the same local political slate in 2009.

Grayslake lawyer Randy Evangelides was selected to fill the trustee post Sherry Ridge resigned from earlier this month. Ridge won election to the four-year term in April 2009 on the Avon Forward political slate.

Evangelides, 59, was the lone unsuccessful Avon Forward trustee candidate in last year's election for four open seats. He finished fifth among eight candidates who ran on the Avon Forward and Avon One slates.

Township Supervisor Sam Yingling, who led the Avon Forward team, said it made sense to appoint Evangelides as trustee this week because he was next in line based on vote totals.

"The thought process was, at least it was somebody that the voters had an opportunity to vote on," Yingling said.

Evangelides said in a Daily Herald questionnaire for last year's campaign that fiscal responsibility was his top issue. Unavailable for elaboration Wednesday, he previously said township government's main role is to serve needy residents.

Avon Township board members Monday night voted 3-1 in favor of Evangelides. Yingling and Avon Forward Trustees Marc Feldstein and Chris Ditton were in favor, with Avon One Trustee William McNeill the lone dissenter.

McNeill said Evangelides was another Avon Forward political appointment, which is why he was against it.

"I don't know him from Adam," McNeill said. "Maybe he's going to be a great guy."

Last month, McNeill and Ridge voted against the appointment of Avon Forward's Thomas Brust as highway commissioner to replace the retired Patrick Anderson, who ran with Avon One.

Brust, who lost to Anderson in April 2009, is now listed with a new local party called Friends to Elect Avon One chaired by Denise Hererra, who has a Des Plaines mailing address, state board of elections records show. Friends to Elect Avon One was formed on May 3.

Still active is Committee to Elect Avon One in Grayslake, chaired by former township supervisor Shirley Christian. That party is commonly known as Avon One and supported McNeill and other candidates in the 2009 election against Avon Forward.

Avon Township encompasses all or part of Grayslake, Hainesville, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Park, Round Lake Heights, Third Lake and unincorporated Lake County.