Filing Begins for Lake Saint Louis Aldermanic Seats up for Election in April

At least two Lake Saint Louis Board of Aldermen seats will be contested in the April 3, 2012 city election, based on filings so far by candidates.

Filing opened Tuesday for the April 3 election and will close at 5 p.m. on Jan. 17. Only seats on the board are up for election this year.

Each of the city's three wards have two aldermen. Normally voters in the city's three wards elect an alderman each year to serve two year terms.

This year, however, four aldermen will be elected in April.  Three of them will serve two-year terms and one will serve a one-year term.

So far, the contested races are in Ward 2 and 3.

In Ward 2, incumbent Karen Vennard faces a challenge from John Lynch. Both filed their candidacies on Tuesday.

Ward 3 incumbent John Pellerito filed for a two-year term. The only other candidate to file for the Ward 3 seat on Tuesday was Richard Morse.

In Ward 1, incumbent Ralph Sidebottom filed for a two-year term.  

Tony Zito filed for the other Ward 1 seat up for election, which carries a one-year term.  Zito is seeking the seat vacated by long-time alderman and former Mayor Harry Slyman, who resigned and left office in July.

Slyman had been reelected to a two year term last April. Mayor Mike Potter appointed Larry DeGroodt to replace Slyman until the April election. DeGroodt served as an alderman from 2000 to 2006

Normally alderman seats terms are staggered so the person elected in April 2012 will fill out the remaining year of Slyman’s term.