Machesney Park Village Board members to take office Monday

By Bob Balgemann

Reporter

Successful candidates for a variety of village offices in the April 6 consolidated election will take office at Monday night’s village board meeting.

There only was one contest, that for village clerk, which was won by former Trustee Robbin Snodgrass. She defeated the other candidate, Kristine DeNolf, polling 725 ballots, or 54 percent of those cast, to 612, or 46 percent.

They were running for the opportunity to replace Clerk Lori Mitchell, who retired last winter after serving in that position since 2005. She currently is continuing to become accustomed to her winter home in Arizona.

Longtime Administrative Assistant Penny Miller was commended by Mayor Steve Johnson at the April 19 village board meeting for taking on the added duties of village clerk for the past four months. She received a hearty round of applause for the extra effort.

Most of the rest of those in village administration will be familiar to residents, having served for the past four years.

Mayor Johnson was unopposed in his bid for re-election to a second term.

He first was elected in 2017, defeating incumbent Mayor Jerry D. Bolin in a close outcome. He received 1,263 votes, or 51.70 percent of those cast, to 1,180 for Bolin, or 48.30 percent.

Johnson has served the village in a variety of capacities, starting with treasurer, an elected position he held for 11 years. He followed by winning a four-year stint in village board District 2, resigning half-way through that term so he could run for mayor.

In District 1, incumbent Trustee Joe Seipts won his first term in 2017. He ran against the incumbent, Trustee Snodgrass, and before the election challenged some of the names on her nominating petitions. A three-member electoral panel supported his challenge and her name was removed from the ballot. Seipts continued on to win with no one mounting a write-in campaign to oppose him.

He was unopposed this year for a fresh four-year term.

District 3 Trustee James Kidd was not opposed in his bid for re-election to a third term.

He first won in 2013, with 52 percent of the vote against Mike Meier. In 2017, he was challenged by Heather Kelley, then president of the Harlem School District 122 School Board, and won, 244-193.

And in District 4, incumbent Trustee Aaron Wilson won re-election without opposition to a third full term. He first was elected in 2013 when he stepped up and ran as a write-in candidate because no one declared for the vacancy created when Trustee Tim Gentry chose not to seek re-election. He was unopposed when he sought a second term four years ago.

Appointee Deborah Alms didn’t have opposition in her bid for an initial four-year term as village treasurer. She first was appointed to fill the vacancy created when the office holder, Bradley Robison, resigned last year. Robison initially was appointed to replace former Trustee Tom Yoe, who was named to fill the vacancy created when Steve Johnson resigned so he could run for a seat on the village board. Then Robison won a full term without being opposed.   

Holdover members of the village board are trustees Jake Schmidt in District 2; Terri Bailey in District 5; and Erick Beck in District 6. Their terms will expire in 2023. Tom Green is the longtime village attorney, an appointed position.