Smith assembles slate, wants 3rd term as Campton president
Patsy Smith, a driving force for the incorporation of Campton Hills and the only village president in its history, said Wednesday she will seek a third term as a write-in candidate for the April election.
“I am a proven leader,” Smith wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon. She had until today to decide if she would run as a write-in after she did not file nominating petitions last year.
“Since the election in 2013, our board of trustees has become dysfunctional and political with some trustees putting their own interests ahead of what is best for the village. It is time for a change in trustees and time to get back to business.”
Her decision ends weeks of speculation about her future. Instead of leaving, Smith raised the ante, urging residents to vote for her slate of write-in candidates on April 7: Stephany Impson for village clerk, and Michael Turgeon and Don Schluga for village trustee.
“(Voters) have had eight years to see what I can do,” Smith said. “It was the right thing to incorporate. We need to work more efficiently. I have to have people willing to work with me to solve problems and I can't say I have that right now.”
Harry Blecker, who was elected trustee in spring 2013, is running for village president. His will be the only name for president on the April ballot.
“I'm not surprised. She's been playing this game all along about whether she was going to run or not,” Blecker said. “We need some openness in village government. We need to build some trust and honesty. We need to open the village up and get back to the original, semirural vision of the village. That's what I want to do.”
Blecker pointed to the village's consideration two years ago of Kiva, a controversial inpatient drug treatment center proposed for a former school. Trustees voted down that plan, but Blecker said Kiva, along with row homes and other commercial development included in the village's comprehensive plan, do not fit within the village's original and long-term vision.
Blecker has three allies running for three 4-year trustee seats: trustees Susan George and Laura Anderson, along with Michael O'Dwyer.
Those three will be the candidates listed on the Feb. 24 primary ballot in which Steve Galloway, another candidate backed by Smith, also is running as a write-in candidate. If Galloway gets 10 percent of the votes of the highest vote-getter, his name will be added to the April 7 ballot along with George, Anderson and O'Dwyer. If Galloway fails to get enough votes, he cannot win April 7.
Nicholas Girka, who has the support of Blecker's camp, also is running as a write-in during in the Feb. 24 primary for village clerk. If he gets at least 54 votes, his name will be added to the April 7 ballot in which Impson is running as a write in.
“At least (voters) will have a choice,” Smith said. “If we didn't do this, they'd be elected by default and I don't think that's right. I worked hard and I feel strongly about leaving the village in good hands, and I don't think we're at that point.”
In past weeks and months, Smith has clashed with a board majority — led by Blecker — over several issues, such as:
• An attempt by Smith to let the contract of Campton Hills Police Chief Dan Hoffman expire in late December. Trustees denied this move and extended Hoffman's contract through May 2015.
• Smith placing Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen on paid leave while the Illinois attorney general's office investigated a possible Open Meetings Act violation. Trustees voted to reinstate Johnsen and have ordered Smith to give Johnsen full access to her work computer, email and other resources.
• The continued service of Trustee Al Lenkaitis Jr. on the village board. Lenkaitis and his family have moved downstate for his new job, but he had refused to step down and trustees who have voted to keep him on the board say the housing situation is only temporary. Lenkaitis has not responded to repeated emails seeking comment.
“She's trying to fire the police chief. She's trying to fire the administrator with no proof they did anything wrong,” Blecker said. “Morale is next to zero in the village.”