Incumbent says Campton Hills board needs to change
If Pasty Smith was a soldier, she would be on her fifth or sixth tour of duty.
She fought the battle to incorporate the village in April 2007, defended the village in efforts to dissolve it, served two terms as village president and acted as the de facto village administrator until a year ago.
Smith is running for a third term, along with a slate of trustee hopefuls, in the April 7 election.
Smith, the only president the village has known, vowed to get back to business as she assembled a slate to try and undo a board majority she says has worked against her for the past year. But if Smith, running as a write-in candidate, defeats challenger Harry Blecker to earn her third term as president - and no one from her slate gets elected - she is undecided if she will serve out her next term.
"I don't know," Smith said in a recent Daily Herald endorsement interview. "I do know one thing is I will not continue with the makeup the board has currently. I don't know right now. It's just not working."
Blecker, who was elected trustee in 2013 and will be the only name on the April 7 ballot for village president, vowed to complete his term if he wins.
"I'm not walking away. The only way I'll walk away is if they carry me away," Blecker said. "It takes work. It's not easy and everybody has to compromise and not say, 'If it doesn't go my way, I might think about leaving.' "
Blecker's allies of Trustees Laura Anderson and Susan George, along with newcomer Michael O'Dwyer, are the only names on the April 7 ballot so far for three, 4-year trustee terms.
Steve Galloway, a Smith ally, is running as a write-in candidate for trustee in Tuesday's primary election. If Galloway gets 10 percent of the votes tallied by the highest vote-getter between Anderson, George and O'Dwyer, Galloway's name will be added to the April 7 ballot. If Galloway fails, his candidacy is over.
Two other candidates - Mike Turgeon and Don Sheluga - are running as write-in candidates for village trustee in the April election and are part of Smith's slate.
In past months, Smith and a four-vote board majority have clashed on the employment status of Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen and Police Chief Dan Hoffman, as well as whether Al Lenkaitis Jr. should continue serving as trustee even though he has moved downstate with his family.
Trustees also have walked out of meetings, preventing the necessary quorum needed to do official business and even pay the village's bills.
Blecker acknowledged the village needed a strong leader in its infancy.
But he now compares Campton Hills to being a teenager and says he has the "finesse" to broker compromise.
"We're going to end these board wars, we're going to work with the administrator, were going to work with the chief," Blecker said.
Smith said it is inaccurate to label her leadership style as "my way or the highway."
Smith said the village board functioned well for six years until Blecker, Anderson and others began blocking her every move about a year ago, even hiring a second law firm because they didn't agree with opinions offered by Village Attorney William Braithwaite.
Smith said the village will get back to business under her leadership and her slate.
"Voters have seen me operate for eight years. What we have going on right now (on the board) is not efficient or healthy," Smith said. "I'm not going to say one way of the other (if she will serve four years if her slate loses). A lot can change. I enjoy doing the job when we can work together as a board to solve problems for the community. This has not been enjoyable."