Petitions circulating for local elections

By: 
STAFF REPORT

Representatives for municipal, township, library, school, park and fire districts began circulating nominating petitions on Tuesday for the consolidated election in April 2021.
Candidates have until mid-December to collect the signatures necessary to get their names on the ballot. The number of signatures obtained from registered voters within the district, community or township they are seeking to represent is based on the number of votes cast in the prior consolidated election.
Petition packets with relevant election information can be obtained from the election authority in each of the districts/boards in which they are seeking office. However, by statute, the Grundy County Clerk’s office handles the circulation and filing of petition packets for school board candidates for all school districts within the county’s jurisdiction. Candidates for school board can pickup a petition pack weekdays from 8-4:30 p.m. at the clerk’s office inside the Grundy County Courthouse at 111 E. Washington St., Morris.
Local townships will be electing supervisors, clerks, trustees, highway commissioners and for some assessor/multi-township assessor.
Trustees will be elected to the Joliet Junior College Board and the Regional Board of School Trustees.
Residents of Carbon Hill, Coal City and Diamond will be electing members to their village boards and members will be named to serve on the boards of the Coal City Public Library District and Unit 1 School District.
The mayoral post is up for election in Carbon Hill as Rich Jurzak is nearing the end of his fourth year in office. Carbon Hill residents will also vote on four trustee positions with three being four year terms and the fourth being a two year unexpired term that is currently vacant. The three other seats are currently held by Adam Johnson, Lisa McCure and Gary Smith.
Pam Noffsinger, the village clerk in Coal City, reports three trustee positions are open in the consolidated election and each are for a four year term. Those seats are currently held by Sarah Beach, Tim Bradley and Dave Spesia.
The entire Diamond Village Board is up for election in spring 2021, this includes the mayor and four commissioners.
Terry Kernc is the sitting mayor and the position is for a term of four years. The four commissioner positions, also four year terms, are currently held by Jeff Kasher, streets and alleys; Mark Adair, health and safety; Denise Brown, finance, and Dave Warner, water and sewer.
Three of the seven seats on the Unit 1 Board of Education are up for election and all are four year terms and are presently held by Jeff Emerson, Mary Gill and Shawn Hamilton. Hamilton and Gill currently serve in leadership positions as the board’s vice president and secretary respectively.
Local voters will also cast ballots this spring for representatives on the Coal City Public Library District Board of Trustees. There are currently two six year terms up for election and those seats are now held by long-term board members and president Lois Phillips and Becky Sipple.
The first day for candidates to file petitions is Monday, Dec. 14 with a filing deadline of 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 21. The last day to file an objection to a petition is Tuesday, Dec. 29 and for those opting to declare their intent to run as a write-in candidate must notify the election authority by Feb. 4, 2021.