Five file for three Hoffman Estates board seats

Five candidates filed nominations papers this morning in Hoffman Estates for the village's three trustee seats open in April's election.

Incumbents Anna Newell and Gary Pilafas filed their petitions at 8:30 a.m. at village hall, as today is the first day to file. Gary Stanton, chairman of the village's plan commission, and Craig Bernacki, a park district commissioner, also filed, as expected.

Alison Hertz, a west side resident for six years, was the only mild surprise. Hertz, 40, is a children's book author with a degree in city planning from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She said Trustee Cary Collins helped convince her to run as his replacement.

Collins, who will step down from his seat on Nov. 22, lives a few doors away from Hertz.

Because Hoffman Estates is one of three Northwest suburbs that has a primary system for municipal offices, filing is a month earlier here than in most suburbs. Should more than 12 candidates file to run for trustee between now and the close of filing Nov. 22, it would trigger a primary on Feb. 22 to whittle the number of candidates down for the April 5 consolidated election.

Collins, who has criticized the education credentials of current board members, supports Hertz, who has three degrees.

Meanwhile, the village board could vote next week on who will serve on the board in Collins' place until April 5, when the seat will be elected. Stanton is thought to be the favorite.

Pilafas, Newell and Stanton will form a slate with Mayor William McLeod's support. But Hertz doesn't think it's necessarily an advantage.

“Right now, unfortunately the mayor doesn't really have a great following right now,” Hertz said. McLeod's term is not up this cycle.

Hertz called the village's acquisition of the Sears Centre Arena a “fiasco,” as the taxpayers are now responsible for payment of the $55 million construction loan. With interest, payment could balloon to $88.4 million.

Hertz said she's never run for political office. Besides writing a children's book set for a 2012 release, she also performed in the Windy City Circus 25 years ago.

“I still juggle for the kids,” she said.

Palatine and Schaumburg are the other two Northwest suburbs that are holding municipal filing this week.