Bears subsidy critic tossed from Arlington Heights ballot
An Arlington Heights village board candidate who is a critic of possible public subsidies for the Chicago Bears was tossed from the ballot Tuesday, making the April 4 trustee race uncontested.
Martin Bauer didn't have the required number of signatures on his nominating petitions to run in the spring election, the village's electoral board ruled, after three separate but similar objections to Bauer's candidacy were filed.
Under state law, Bauer needed 472 signatures of registered voters - representing 5% of people who voted in the last municipal election - but he submitted just 125 to the village clerk's office. He said he thought he needed to collect only 1%.
The vote by the panel - Mayor Tom Hayes, Village Clerk Becky Hume and Trustee John Scaletta, who is the longest-serving village trustee - was unanimous after a 90-minute hearing Tuesday evening at village hall.
"I believe it was an honest mistake, but it was a mistake, and we cannot look the other way because we are guided by state law," said Hayes, who has run in nine elections over his 32-year tenure on the elected panel.
Consulting the Illinois State Board of Elections' Candidate's Guide, Bauer said he considered the upcoming village board election to be a "nonpartisan" village election - which has lower signature requirements - as opposed to an "independent" race, which has the higher signature threshold.
"I collected and presented what I believe to be the relevant number of signatures," said Bauer, a 25-year resident but first-time candidate.
"There is no doubt a significant number of residents of Arlington Heights would want to see my name on the ballot."
Bauer has been a critic of potential public financing for the Bears' redevelopment of Arlington Park at village board meetings in recent months. But he said he didn't decide to run for village board and start collecting signatures from fellow residents until two weeks before the filing period began Dec. 12.
Village Attorney Hart Passman said Arlington Heights has never had a referendum on moving its elections to a nonpartisan system - like Highland Park, for instance. And while historically the Northwest suburban municipality hasn't had slates or parties, there's nothing preventing candidates from forming one.
Traditionally, Arlington Heights candidates run as independents and are listed that way on the ballot.
The formal objections to Bauer's nomination papers were filed by Scott Shirley, a fellow candidate in the race for four available trustee seats; Thomas Drake, a member of the zoning board of appeals; and Keith Moens, a regular attendee and observer of village meetings.
All cited an insufficient number of signatures on Bauer's petitions, while Drake additionally objected to the use of incorrect forms and numbering of pages.
The electoral board took separate votes to sustain the first two objections but sided with Bauer in the last case.
The board will meet again at 9 a.m. Friday to formally approve a written order certifying the decision.
That will leave four names on the ballot: that of Shirley, the former village public works director; Robin LaBedz, a nine-year trustee and the current president pro tem; Tom Schwingbeck, a three-year trustee; and Wendy Dunnington, who ran and lost in 2021.