Races take shape for Arlington Heights board, schools and park district
Charles Drost is not running for another term on the Arlington Heights library board. An earlier version of this story had the wrong person listed.
Arlington Heights voters will have contested races next spring for village trustee, two school boards and park board.
Monday was the last day for candidates to file for the April 2015 local consolidated election. Mayors, village boards, city councils, park districts, school districts, library districts and fire protection districts will be elected.
Six candidates, including all four incumbents and two challengers, are running for four seats with four-year terms on the Arlington Heights village board. Trustees Carol Blackwood, Robin LaBedz and Michael Sidor, as well as Thomas Schwingbeck Jr. and D. Court Harris all filed their petitions on the first day of filing last week. Arlington Heights Clerk Becky Hume will hold a lottery at 10 a.m. Dec. 30 to determine ballot placement for the five candidates who filed last week at 8 a.m. Trustee John Scaletta filed on Monday, she said.
Resident Bill Gnech circulated a petition, but said on Monday he has decided not to run for village board.
"I just became a grandpa and I have several other business opportunities that came up," said Gnech, who collected thousands of signatures - twice - to get a term limits referendum on the Arlington Heights ballot. Both times the initiative was dismissed by the local election board due to technical and structural issues with his petitions.
"I think it will be a really important election coming up and I wish them the best of luck," said Gnech, who added he will reconsider running for village board in 2017.
Harris, son of state Rep. David Harris, announced he would run earlier this year and said he hopes to bring a youthful element to the board. He is a member of the village's police and fire commission.
"Serving on the village board will allow me the opportunity to serve the residents of the community that has played such an important role in my life. I'm excited about the possibility of being elected to the village board and working alongside fellow trustees to guide Arlington Heights on a positive path into the future," Harris said last week.
Schwingbeck is a newcomer to village politics, but has attended recent village board meetings.
LaBedz is running for her first elected term on the village board. She was appointed in 2013 to finish former Trustee Tom Hayes' term on the board after he was elected Arlington Heights mayor.
Blackwood is running for her second full term after being appointed in 2010. Sidor is running for his second term on the board. Scaletta is running for his third term as an Arlington Heights trustee.
Arlington Heights trustees are elected at-large with the four largest vote-getters winning four-year terms.
Park board
For the Arlington Heights Park District board, both incumbents, Myles Naughton and Robert Nesvacil, are running for new terms. Resident Brian Byrne also has filed, meaning there are three candidates for two four-year seats.
District 214
Four candidates are running for three seats. The three sitting school board members are running for re-election - Alva Kreutzer, Bill Dussling and Dan Petro. A fourth candidate, Kevin Lindell, has filed petitions to run.
District 25
Voters in Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 will have a contested race, with five candidates running for four seats. Candidates are incumbents Erin Johannesen, Chuck Williams and Diana Chrissis and challengers Suzanne Krause and Brian Cerniglia. Johannesen was appointed to the board earlier this year when board member Phil Crusius died after a long battle with cancer.
Memorial Library
Only one candidate, incumbent Kerry Pearson, has filed to run for the Arlington Heights Memorial Library board, but two seats are open. Member Charles Drost is not running for another term.