Electoral Board Rules that Burgess' and Benson's slates will be on the Ballot

Darrick Thompson (in John Deere Green shirt) Marva

Campbell-Pruitt and Derrick Burgess

by Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE |  The electoral board for the Village met to hear the challenges to the nomination papers challenging Village Trustee Derrick Burgess, who is running for Mayor on the People's Unity Party and Enoch Benson's Citizens for Reform.

The electoral board consisted of two attorneys appointed independently by the head of the Cook County Circuit Court.  Jeffrey Greenspan and Nicholas Kefalos consisted of the quorum as one member was absent.

The board heard the challenges brought by resident Jacqueline Ford against Benson's slate.  The board ruled on the motion to strike and dismiss filed by Benson claiming among other things that the challenge lacked substance to merit removal from the April 9th ballot.  The board went through the objections filed by Benson to dismiss.

The Board members disagreed that the objector must have a stated interest in order to file an objection.  The board was unanimous in the motion to dismiss the objection filed by Ford that she objected to the party itself not any individual candidates on the slate.  The action was dismissed by the electoral board and barring any action to appeal the electoral board's ruling, the Citizens for Reform Party will be on the ballot.

The Board then took up the issue of the objections filed by Darrick Thompson against Burgess' slate The People's Unity Party.  Burgess' slate made a motion to dismiss because of the same issue filed against Benson's slate that it failed to name specific candidates and only objected to the party itself.  The electoral board voted unanimously to dismiss the challenges brought by Thompson and the People's Unity Party will be on the April Ballot as well.

The other challenges raised were also tossed out by the Board.

"Both slates of candidates will be on the board" Michael McGrath said following the hearing.

Benson had no comment following the ruling.  "This is costing the village money and these supporters were put up to this by Bernice Houston and Francine Anderson" Burgess said.

Anderson was on the phone with Thompson at 1:30pm telling the board "he's on his way".  The hearing began shortly after 12:00pm.  Thompson arrived at about 2:00pm.

Still yet to be decided is the fate of Village Trustee David Hanks, Rosie Williams, the Village Clerk and Lynda Washington.