Addison trustees to stay on April ballot
An attempt to knock three Addison trustees off the April ballot was dismissed Thursday by the village's electoral board.
Resident Angelo Chrysogelos argued that the three village board incumbents — Joseph McDermott, Tom Hundley and William “Bill” Lynch — violated state law by representing the same party for two elections in a row.
But the panel that reviewed Chrysogelos' objection disagreed. It concluded that the three incumbents' Addison United for Action party is different from the United Addison organization that existed during the last municipal election.
“It's a new political party,” said Mayor Larry Hartwig, who was joined on the electoral board by village Clerk Lucille Zucchero and Trustee Sylvia Layne. “The objection is unfounded.”
Chrysogelos, who is a former trustee and mayor, reacted to the decision by saying he doesn't believe he got a fair shake from the electoral board.
“It stinks because you got the same party that's ruling on it,” Chrysogelos said
Hartwig said the makeup of the electoral board was determined by state law. He also stressed the panel considered Chrysogelos' claim impartially.
And while Chrysogelos claimed the Addison United for Action name has been used as far back as 1998, Hartwig said that party name wasn't used two elections in a row.
“It was not operative in the last election,” Hartwig said.
Hundley, who is competing for his fourth term on the village board, said the panel made the right decision.
“One thing he (Chrysogelos) is trying to do is take away the vote of over 400 people who signed our petitions,” Hundley said. “He wants to make the decision on his own under circumstances that don't exist.”
McDermott, Hundley, Lynch and challenger Kathleen Willis are vying for three open seats on the village board.
Lynch has served on the board since being appointed to fill a vacated term in 2002. McDermott is seeking a third term on the village board.
Meanwhile, Willis has served for 10 years on the Addison School District 4 board of education.