Lisle trustee race down to five candidates

The list of Lisle trustee hopefuls has dwindled to five candidates after five others withdrew from the race or were kicked off the April ballot.

In December, 10 candidates filed nominating petitions to run for three open seats on the village board: incumbent Mark Boyle, incumbent Cathy Cawiezel, Stephen Winz, Charles Rego, Richard Wilkie, Sara Sadat, Claire Goldenberg, Michael Olson, John Gergits and David Melsbakas.

Wilkie and Melsbakas have since dropped out of the race.

Meanwhile, the village's electoral board has ruled that Boyle, Rego and Gergits shouldn't appear on the April 2 ballot.

The candidacies of Boyle and Rego were challenged by Lisle resident Irena Binkiene, who claimed they didn't collect enough valid signatures.

"Everybody has the opportunity to have their name on the ballot," said Daiva Majauskas, Binkiene's attorney. "But everybody also has to follow the rules."

Trustee candidates need 210 valid signatures to run in Lisle.

Boyle, who has served as a trustee since 2007, filed 39 pages of nominating petitions containing a total of 322 signatures. But 114 signatures were withdrawn or found to be invalid during a public hearing.

Rego filed 39 pages of nominating petitions containing a total of 325 signatures. But during a public hearing, it was determined that he didn't have enough valid signatures.

Signatures in Rego's and Boyle's nomination petitions were disqualified, in part, because sheets weren't properly notarized or weren't notarized at all.

Majauskas said a notary testified during the hearings that she had never met circulators for Rego and Boyle. Circulators are required to appear in person before a notary when having their petitions notarized.

"In this case, the rules weren't followed," Majauskas said.

Rego and Boyle are appealing the electoral board's decision in court.

"While I must assume that the majority of the board met with good intentions, it was very clear that there was a fundamental lack of knowledge on what their responsibilities were and on the scope of interpretation of election codes," Boyle said in a statement. "When even these electoral board hearings become political, it is a poor commentary of what is important in Lisle."

As for Gergits, he was removed from the ballot after Boyle challenged his nominating petitions.

Lisle's electoral board upheld the objection because Gergits missed a deadline to provide proof to the village that he filed a statement of economic interest with the county.

Majauskas, who represents Gergits, said her client is disappointed but decided not to appeal the electoral board's ruling.