Former top cop on ballot in Lake County

Caught up in controversy as Round Lake's police chief in 2005, Charlie Foy will be on the spring ballot seeking a village board seat.

Three 4-year trustee seats will be available in most villages in the April 7 election. Monday was the deadline for candidates to file paperwork to get on the ballot.

In Round Lake, Foy is on the ballot as part of a political team with incumbent Russell Kraly and newcomer Sergio Rodriguez. Provided a write-in candidate doesn't surface, Foy and the others will be assured of Round Lake village board seats.

Foy had been Round Lake's police chief for five years when former Mayor Bill Gentes did not reappoint him in June 2005. Almost a year later, new top cop Cliffton Metaxa lodged an eight-count internal complaint against Foy that included claims of engaging in lewd behavior toward female officers and civilian employees.

Demoted to lieutenant after he wasn't reappointed as chief, Foy settled the dispute with Round Lake out of court in January 2007. Foy, who denied the accusations, agreed to resign in February 2007, but remained eligible for a police pension and received 13 months of back pay.

Foy said Monday enough time has passed since the controversy that it's appropriate for him to run for a Round Lake village board trustee seat. He said attracting more businesses to diversify Round Lake's tax base tops his agenda.

"I'm not done yet. I figure I can do the village some good and get some business in," said Foy, who would resign from his Round Lake Area Public Library District trustee post if elected to the village board.

Elsewhere in Lake County, some towns are guaranteed to see fresh faces on the village board after incumbents declined to seek re-election by not turning in their paperwork Monday.

Mundelein's three incumbents - Ed Sullivan, Terri Voss and Robin Meier - are among those not seeking re-election. Instead of the incumbents, newcomers Bill Rekus, Kerston Russell, Paul Roscoe and Dakotah Norton will be on the ballot.

But in Gurnee, incumbents Steve Park, Cheryl Ross and Greg Garner want to keep their trustee posts and filed to get on the April 7 ballot. With newcomers Terry Waddell-Moenter and Eric Sindermann in the race, that means Gurnee voters will select from five candidates for the three seats.

"I'm looking for four more years," Garner said. "Why not?"

Garner was appointed to fill Kristina Kovarik's trustee seat after she became mayor in 2005. He was unsuccessful when he tried to unseat Kovarik in a three-way mayoral race in 2009.