ELECTION UPDATE: SCHOOL BOARD CHALLENGES FAIL & NEW BOARD MEMBER EXPECTED

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  The School Board election for District 168 has taken a twist of events the last few weeks.  One Candidate has withdrawn 3 others successfully fought off challenges which would have removed them from the ballot.

Incumbents Board members Sharon Davenport, Tammy Jones and Sene Garrett along with newcomer Latonya West filed petitions to have their names on the April 7th ballot on the first day December 15^th.  West is seeking a 2 year unexpired term following the resignation of Melvin Stevenson in November.   Davenport, Jones, Garrett and West's petitions were not challenged but all other candidates faced unsucessful challenges.

Board members failed to make an appointment to replace Stevenson by December 30th.  West’s name was the only name put forth for appointment following the unexpected resignation of Stevenson.  Actions to block West’s appointment were successfully carried out by Board Members Jimo Kasali, Deloris Green and Mary Howard, who is the sister to Mayor David Hanks.   The Executive Director of South Cook Intermediate Service Center Dr. Vanessa Kinder has the legal authority to appoint a “temporary” replacement to the seat vacated by Stevenson since the School Board failed to appoint a replacement.  The only issue is that the vacancy is only until the election outcome is determined so the person may only be there on a temporary basis.

"I am preparing to interview candidates for the vacant seat and I intend on making the appointment by the end of this month" Kinder said.  Kinder admitted that she is not mandated to appoint but it is her legal duty to do so.  "It would not be fair to the people of the district to have the seat vacant and decisions by the board not getting made" Kinder said.

Kinder did not identify who she would be interviewing for the vacancy but said "it is disappointing that the local board could not make a decision and that I am forced to appoint.  Decisions such as these should be made at the local level, but there is a provision when it can't be that it falls upon the person in this position" Kinder said.

Resident Larry Stewart filed objections to candidates which included Rachel Eastman, Phillip Bazile, husband of former School Board President and current McConathy Library Trustee Arleta Bazile and Sandra Isom who are seeking the 4 year terms.  Former Village Clerk Candidate Marva Campbell-Pruitt who is seeking the 2 year unexpired term was also considered to replace Aisa El-Amin who resigned last year.  Campbell-Pruitt put her name into consideration for the appointment to El-Amin’s vacant seat, however, was passed over for Garrett.

Stewart said he filed objections to ensure that those candidates who filed did so correctly.  “Look, when you run for office you’ve got to make sure you start out right.  It begins by making sure your papers work is in order” Stewart said.  “This is not politically motivated.  I know each of the people who are running.  It’s about following the rules” Stewart said.

Since the objections were filed, Eastman withdrew her name as a candidate and will not be on the ballot in April.  Eastman had obtained well over 100 signatures of registered voters to get her name on the ballot, only 50 are required.  “I just wanted to make a difference for the kids of the Village” Eastman said following her withdrawal.  “It seems that no matter what you do someone is going to be mad at you for doing something.  I had no idea that people would get so personal” Eastman said.  Eastman serves on the Neighborhood Watch Committee.

The electoral board, which use to rest with the local school boards has been moved to the jurisdiction of Cook County to expedite the handling of hearings and save the financially struggling school districts tens  of thousands of taxpayer dollars.  The Cook County Hearing Officer tossed out all challenges made by Stewart ensuring that all candidates, except Eastman who withdrew, will be on the ballot.

In the Village Trustees race, for the first time in many years no objections were filed.  The seats of Trustees Derrick Burgess, Jeff Morden and John Poskin are up for grabs in April.  Burgess, Morden and Poskin all filed nomination petitions seeking their old seats.  Poskin has never faced election for his seat but was appointed  twice by Hanks in 2012 and is currently the longest serving unelected Village Trustee.  Hoping to unseat them are controversial Housing Commission Chairman Gary Holcomb, and former School Board President and Retired Lieutenant Colonel Cecil Tates, Kelvin Jones and Danny Hammond, Jr.

"People of Sauk Village want change.  They are tired of this administration and the lack of direction" Hammond said. 

The two seats up for the Nancy L. McConathy Public Library are uncontested.

BURGESS ANNOUNCES & FILES FOR RE-ELECTION

SAUK VILLAGE |  After keeping his commitment to the residents of Sauk Village to advocate for  open, honest and transparent government by holding the administration accountable, Trustee Derrick Burgess has announced his bid to seek re-election in April, 2015 as an Independent candidate.

“I have been asked by numerous residents to keep asking questions and ensure their voices are heard” Burgess said.   “After careful consideration of the many residents who have encouraged me to run for office again, I have decided to announce that I will be a candidate for re-election as your Village Trustee” Burgess said.  Burgess devotes full-time to his duties as Trustee since his recent retirement in 2014 from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Burgess has served as Trustee since 2006 and won re-election in 2007 and 2011.  Burgess ran for Mayor in 2009 against Lewis Towers and again in 2013 only after securing the endorsement of then “acting-Mayor” David Hanks.  Hanks subsequently went back on his word and ran against Burgess who lost in a 4-way race.

To give people the opportunity to voice their comments and concerns without time and subject limitations imposed during regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings, Burgess instituted monthly Town Hall Meetings that are very popular with the residents who want answers to questions.   Burgess routinely asks Hanks for clarification on proposed actions during board meetings and even voted no on the most recent budget, calling it “unbalanced” and “unrealistic”.  Burgess illustrated his concerns about the mayor's proposed budget by presenting a 21 page analysis that highlighted in details the potential points of failure to which no other Trustee had done.  “The purpose of the analysis was to point out to the Board that we could no longer continue with business as usual and we, as a Village Board must work together to bring solutions to the table.  Some decisions and actions taken by the mayor and Board are done so based on their interpretation of "past practices".  These "past practices" have proven to be flawed and have continued to lead us down an unsound fiscal road” Burgess said.

 

Burgess said he will continue to advocate for the residents and that his experience in municipal government has been invaluable. 

“I’m not against moving the village forward, but I feel we have been heading in the wrong direction” Burgess said.

Burgess filed his nomination petitions at Village Hall today at 8am.

Also filing Monday morning were Jeff Morden who was elected to the unexpired term of former Trustee Robert Chavez in a special election in 2013.  Morden has been without a Committee  assignment for months.

Former School District 168 Board President Cecil Tates, who has lived in the Village for more than 30 years and also is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel.

Gary Holcomb, a supporter of Mayor David Hanks, and chairperson of the Housing Commission who has been the center of controversy over the summer.  The Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office is considering a Binding Opinion that the Housing Commission had violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Resident Kelvin Jones also filed Monday.  "I want to make a difference in the community.  We don't need another rubber stamp or bobblehead' Jones said today.

The final candidate to file this morning was John Poskin, a staunch ally to Hanks.  Poskin was Hank's appointment for 2-unexpired terms for Village Trustee and has been the longest serving unelected Trustee in the Village's history.  Poskin will be running for the first time since 2005 when he ran with Hanks and lost.

All of the candidates who filed today, including Burgess are running as independent candidates.