Plenty of competition likely in 2017 MP village board election

By Bob Balgemann

REPORTER

There could be some new faces on the village board following the April 2017 election.

Newcomers wanting four-year terms on the board are Joe Seipts in District 1 and Heather Kelley in District 3. Kelley will be challenging first-term Incumbent Trustee James Kidd, who is running again.

District 1 Incumbent Robbin Snodgrass could not be reached for comment on her plans.

Incumbent District 4 Trustee Aaron Wilson is running and is unopposed to far. He won as a write-in candidate in 2013, coming forward when no one else filed for the seat.

The treasurer could be new as recent Harlem High School graduate Brad Robinson has announced for that part-time position. He has no opposition at this point for the job held by Tom Yoe, a former village trustee. Yoe was appointed in 2013 and is not seeking to be elected.

Two long-standing public servants would like to be re-elected to fresh terms.

One of them is Mayor Jerry Bolin, a four-year trustee before being elected as the village’s chief executive officer in 2013. The other is Village Clerk Lori Mitchell, who has held that office for the past 11 years.

No one announced plans to run against either of them during an election kick-off Aug. 4 at the Field Fastener office on North Alpine Road.

Mayor Bolin actually said in 2015, during an interview with the Post Journal,  that he would run again.

“Yes, absolutely,” he said at the time, when asked if he would seek a second term. “Four years is not enough time to accomplish or fix all the problems I inherited. My heart is in the security, prosperity, stability, present and future, of Machesney Park.”

He referred to his tenure as being an “aggressive mode for infrastructure improvements, attracting new businesses, maintaining current businesses and reconnecting a dialogue, regional teamwork atmosphere, at the municipal and legislative levels.”

Trustee Kidd won a contested election four years ago. “I always like to have competition,” he said of having a challenger for a second term. “Heather is a nice lady. But I think we disagree fundamentally. So we’ll have a good debate.”

A candidates forum usually is held shortly before before the municipal election at the North Suburban Library in Loves Park.

Of his decision to run again, he said, “I really enjoy it; I enjoy helping others with their concerns. My job is to represent them. And I try to exercise common sense.”

He was out of town the night of the election kick-off.

Kidd’s opponent currently is president of the Harlem School District 122 Board of Education.

She said she got to know village officials through the numerous partnerships involving them with the school district. Among those listed by Mayor Bolin were the artificial turf project at Harlem High School; new sidewalk and crosswalk light at Ralstron Elementary School and a new sidewalk along Wesley Road, leading to Maple Elementary School.

“I want to do more by serving the people in that (trustee) capacity,” Kelley said. She wants to be part of continued progress and “to get feedback from citizens as to their vision for the village,” she said.

Seipts could not be reached for comment on his candidacy.