Petition Filing Begins Monday for Lemont Board Elections

The first day is Monday, Dec. 17 for candidates to file petitions for election to Lemont municipal boards. Candidates’ names will appear on the election ballot in the order in which their nominating papers are received. If simultaneous filings occur, lotteries will be held to determine ballot positions.

Deadlines for filing petitions, objections have changed due to the holidays

Originally, the last filing date for candidates in the April 9 municipal election was Dec. 24. But thanks to an amendment to the Illinois Election Code recently signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, those candidates won’t have to rush during the holidays to get their nominating petitions in – and municipal clerks won’t have to work until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve to accept the petitions. Now, the last day to file petitions is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26.

The state’s date change also moves back the time period for filing objections to nominating petitions. Objectors will now have five business days from Dec. 26 to file their objections. Per election code, a business day is designated as any day an office is open to the public for at least seven hours for accepting objections. For municipal offices that will be closed on New Year’s Eve or not open for at least seven hours, the fifth business day following Dec. 26 is Jan. 4, 2013.

Information on Lemont board elections follows:

Village of Lemont

• Seats up for election: Village president (currently occupied by Brian Reaves), village clerk (currently occupied by Charlene Smollen) and three trustees (currently occupied by Paul Chialdikas, Clifford Miklos and Jeanette Virgilio).
• Dates to file petitions: Petitions must be filed with the village clerk’s office at 410 McCarthy Rd., Lemont (Central School), no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 17 and no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26. The clerk’s office will be closed Dec 24 and 25. The office will accept objections to petitions through Jan. 3.

Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A

• Seats up for election: Three seats on the seven-member board of education are up for election April 9. The seats are currently occupied by Kevin Doherty, Karen Siston and Lisa Wright. Those elected will serve four-year terms expiring in April, 2017.
• Dates to file petitions: Sandra Larek will accept nominating petitions in the District 113A district office at 16100 W. 127th St. from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dec. 17-21 and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26.
• Viewing of petitions and filing of objections will be accepted in the District 113A office from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 27 and 28; and Wednesday through Friday, Jan. 2-4.

Lemont High School District 210

• Seats up for election: Three. Board members whose terms expire in spring 2013 are Mike Shackel, Mike Kardas and George Rimbo.
• Dates to file petitions: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Dec. 17-21 and 7:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Lemont Fire Protection District

• Seats up for election: One trustee’s seat, currently occupied by Richard Rimbo, is up for election for a six-year term April 9. Fire district commissioners are appointed by trustees, who are elected.
• Dates to file petitions: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning Monday, Dec. 17 and no later than Wednesday, Dec. 26. Fire district offices will be closed Dec. 24 and 25.

Lemont Public Library District

• Seats up for election: Five positions are available for full four-year terms on the library board of trustees. The seats are currently occupied by Patricia Camalliere, Stephen Graham, Christine Hogan, Kenneth Shattuck and Charles Ray.
• Dates to file petitions: Petitions must be received in the library’s business office at 50 E. Wend St. no earlier than 9 a.m. Monday, Dec.17, and no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26. Position on the ballot is determined by time and receipt of petitions. Should more than one petition be filed at the same time by mail or in person, a lottery will be held to determine ballot order.

Lemont Park District

• Seats up for election: According to Patrick Sexton, park district president, the seats of Mike Colaizzi and Jack Williams are up for election on the five-member park district board April 9. In May, the park board appointed Brian Pepich to fill the unexpired term of former commissioner Colaizzi. Pepich intends to run for a full six-year term in the upcoming election and Williams will not be seeking re-election, Sexton said. 
• Dates to file petitions: Candidate filings for park board commissioners will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 17 and continue (Monday through Friday) through 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, at the park district’s business office in the Centennial Community Center at 16028 W. 127th St. The business office will be closed Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 24 and 25.

Editor’s note: Keep watching Patch for updates on who’s filing petitions for election to Lemont boards.

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