Tinley Trustee Candidates' Battle For The Ballot Continues

TINLEY PARK,IL — Three candidates running for Tinley Park village trustee hit a snag in the complicated fight to get their names on the April ballot. The village’s electoral board appointed a third-party hearing officer to help them make a final call.

“This whole process sucks. It’s corrupt from day one,” said Christopher Cwik, one of the candidates whose signatures is in question.

Several people challenged signatures on the petitions of three independent candidates, Cwik, Brian Godlewski and Jeffrey Mech. The village board earlier this month determined it could not verify the validity of two objections, and that it would ask county elections officials for help with that task.

But because Tinley Park is divided between two counties, the board needed to reach out to Will and Cook offices, which have different review processes. Cook County has faced a backlog, village attorney Patrick Connelly said, but its review is scheduled for tomorrow. Cook County will make its determination at that time.

However, Will County’s process proved to be more complicated, he explained. The office does not rule on objections and it declined several alternatives the village proposed to try to create a fair and impartial review. The board determined that the best route then would be to appoint an outside hearing officer to make a call in Will County’s case, Connelly said.

The electoral board agreed, and on Tuesday appointed Douglas Spale, an attorney at Peterson Johnson Murray law firm in Chicago. It is the same firm that employs village attorney Connelly.

“We are going to do everything to make this fair and impartial,” said Thomas Jaconetty, a member of the public who was appointed to the electoral board.

If either county’s review process determines the objections are invalid, all candidates will have another opportunity to prove their cases.

“All we’re trying to do as independents is show citizens that they have a choice, and that they don’t have to vote for council-backed candidates,” said Brian Godlewski, one of the candidates whose petition is being challenged.

The next electoral board meeting to hear the results is scheduled for Jan. 23. The board could make a final determination as early as that date.

Photo via Shutterstock.