Smith faces newcomer in Campton Hills president race

Patsy Smith is the only president Campton Hills has had in its short history, and believes she is most qualified to lead the village the next four years.

“The village is still in the initial stages of being a village,” she said. “Building a village from scratch is certainly no easy task.”

Voters Tuesday will decide whether to stick with Smith or elect write-in candidate Kristin LeBlanc.

LeBlanc says she can bring balance between residents who favored or opposed the village’s incorporation, and get more residents involved in moving the village forward.

She says Smith is a polarizing figure whose approach has led to lawsuits and other conflicts that waste tax dollars.

“I feel a lot of that could have been avoided just by management style,” LeBlanc said. “I think she had a big (agenda) on her plate when she came in. The foundation now is a little shaky. People are not confident of where it stands.”

Smith says she’s had to respond to challenges that the leader of an established city or village would encounter. She said the village can’t control if someone sues, and pointed to her work on a two-year update of the village’s comprehensive plan and efforts to be fiscally responsible.

“I’ve had a number of people show overwhelming support and I appreciate that, and I’d be honored if they chose me as village president for the next four years,” Smith said.

LeBlanc’s campaign has a blog that lists “97 reasons” — one for every day since her candidacy began — why she is the best choice.

“The best thing to do is ignore it,” Smith said of some of the blog entries. “If I get re-elected, I may respond to those things. Most of it is baloney.”

LeBlanc was not allowed on Tuesday’s ballot when Village Clerk Carolyn Higgins in January refused to certify LeBlanc’s nominating petitions.

Smith challenged them as well, claiming LeBlanc didn’t have enough valid signatures, turned them in late and didn’t complete required paperwork.

LeBlanc didn’t fight Higgins’ decision.

When asked why a resident should vote for her if she couldn’t complete nominating petitions, LeBlanc replied: “Nobody else was going to step up to the plate. Nobody was going to challenge Patsy.