Lemont Trustee Candidates Booted from Ballot

Two candidates for Lemont trustee are kicked off the ballot, after the Lemont electoral board determined the objections against their election petitions were justified.

The board—made up of Mayor Brian Reaves, Trustee Jeanette Virgilio and Clerk Charlene Smollen—released its written decision following a meeting Jan. 22.

In order to run for trustee, Kevin Cliff and Rick Ligthard will now have to run as write-in candidates in the April 7 election. They would be attempting to unseat incumbents Debby Blatzer, Rick Sniegowski, and Ron Stapleton.

Stapleton filed the objections to both election petitions, noting several clerical errors in the forms.

One such error was a statement of economic interest dated the wrong year, deeming them invalid,

The purpose of the statement of economic interest is to allow the public to view the financial dealings of the candidate within the calendar year they are filing the election petitions, and writing the incorrect year would mislead the public as to which year the dealings took place, the decision said.

Ligthard also admitted to submitting one of Cliff’s signature sheets as his own, which the board said brings into question the validity of his other forms.