Advocate for Parker Hadley Roads back on ballot as write-in

Heidi Pacella, a resident of Homer Glen, Illinois, has navigated the challenging landscape of local politics. After diligently gathering signed petitions and submitting necessary paperwork last October, she found herself facing several days of Village hearings alongside 13 other trustee candidates. The Electoral Board of Homer Glen ultimately spent tens of thousands of dollars to disqualify many candidates, including Pacella herself, seemingly favoring three individuals publicly backed by the village’s mayor, Christina Neitzke-Troike.

As a married mother of six children aged 12 to 28 while remaining a student at DePaul University pursuing a degree in Psychology with a minor in creative writing, Pacella expressed her frustration with the Electoral Board hearing process. She recognized that while protocol was being followed, it placed an undue burden on both candidates and Homer Glen taxpayers, stemming from the objections of one individual, Craig Carlson.

"I don't understand the reasoning behind Mr. Carlson's excessive 14 objections to candidates. Personally, I objected to one candidate, Nick Muller, because his paperwork was missing a notary’s signature on five pages. If he [Muller] couldn't handle that simple requirement, what other responsibilities might he neglect if elected?" she explained.

After being removed from the ballot, Pacella decided to run as a write-in candidate, driven by her strong commitment to community service. She was part of the team opposing Will County’s plans to expand Hadley, Chicago Bloomington Trail, and Parker Roads, which earned her the nickname “Heidi Hadley.” This moniker, mistakenly thought by many to be her last name, actually originated from her residence on Hadley Road, leading to the affectionate title “Heidi on Hadley” among neighbors.

"The road has been transferred to Homer Glen Village from Will County, but there are no ordinances in place to protect it. I worry that it remains at risk for development, and I want to safeguard our rural area," Pacella stated. Homer Glen is one of the few southwest suburbs that has not yet been heavily developed, and Pacella is determined to keep it that way. Voting for the Homer Glen trustee position is April 1st, 2025.

Pacella is devoted to the environmental aspect of Homer Glen, mentioning her concern of overdevelopment and lack of funding to maintain current parks. Attending Homer Glen Village meetings, committee meetings, as well as others on the township and county level, has kept her up-to-date and informed. She mentions on her Facebook page titled "Heidi For Homer" that her concerns and strengths are, "preserving the historical and agricultural nature of our area, listening to the communities concerns, encouraging residents to participate in civic events, and analyzing conflicts."

The Village of Homer Glen has three trustee positions open, with the ballot naming seven. Pacella would be the eighth candidate. The irony is that while Pacella's name is not preprinted on the ballot, a plethora of residents are already quite familiar with her.

Early voting for the Village of Homer Glen is March 17th, 2025, through March 21st, 2025, and March 24th, 2025, through March 28th, 2025, with the hours of 8:30am - 3:30pm at the Homer Township administration building located at 14350 W 1515st Street, Homer Glen, IL. Voting will also take place on April 1st at the Homer Township location.

Updated 3/2/2025

Original article written by unknown.