Fox Lake's Schmit wins second term as mayor

Donny Schmit has won a second term as Fox Lake mayor over write-in challenger James Polanis, the Lake County clerk's office announced on its website. Unofficial totals show Polanis, 51, a self-employed property manager, collected eight write-in votes in the April 4 consolidated election, while Schmit received 568 votes. The vote totals are unofficial until canvassed in the coming week, officials said. Had Polanis not filed to run as a write-in candidate, it would have been the first time in 36 years that Fox Lake would have had an uncontested mayoral election. Schmit's win is the first time a Fox Lake mayor was awarded a second term in office since Richard "Butch" Hamm in 1981.