Lynwood Village President Jada Curry may face a challenger within the Feb. 25 Democratic main, although the potential opponent will face a problem to the petition she filed.
Lynwood residents Angela Woods and Denise Copeland-Lilly filed an objection with the municipal elections board, arguing that Detonya Armstrong’s petition accommodates invalid signatures, in accordance with the objection obtained from the clerk’s workplace. The declare states that some signatories aren’t registered voters on the listed addresses, some signatures look like solid, some addresses are exterior the village, others are incomplete or lacking, and a few people could have signed greater than as soon as.
Objectors argue that examination of the paperwork will reveal a “sample of fraud and false oaths” and a “whole and contemptuous disregard for the necessary provisions of the electoral code.” They additionally say that the alleged discrepancies within the signatures present a “pervasive and systematic try to undermine the electoral course of” and that the electoral council “can’t flip a blind eye and ear” when analyzing the validity of the claims.
Woods and Copeland-Lilly argue that every one signatures on Armstrong’s petition sheets must be invalidated to guard the integrity of the election course of as a result of many signatures had been solid or unsigned within the presence of circulators, violating election legal guidelines, the objection states . As a outcome, they search to have Armstrong’s candidacy declared invalid and his title excluded from the February poll.
Joseph Cainkar, the lawyer representing Woods and Copeland-Lilly, mentioned Armstrong appeared earlier than the board of elections Tuesday for a preliminary listening to. The board carried out a information overview Wednesday to judge the validity of Armstrong’s petition.
Cainkar mentioned he expects the board to achieve a call after its Dec. 4 assembly.
Curry mentioned the alleged discrepancies are trigger for concern from a petitioner looking for the place of village president.
“What this seems to point out is a sample of fraud on his half,” Curry mentioned.
Woods and Copeland-Lilly additionally filed a separate objection difficult Linda Miller’s petition for village trustee. This objection mirrors the one filed towards Armstrong, arguing that Miller’s nomination paperwork comprise the identical signature discrepancies. As a outcome, they search to maintain Miller’s title off the February poll and declare his nomination papers invalid.
Cainkar mentioned he believes the 2 ladies are motivated solely by their curiosity as voters who sought out these looking for a nomination for the village council.
“They have an interest voters and due to this fact they’ve the suitable to do that,” he mentioned.
Candidates looking for nomination within the February main had been scheduled to submit their petitions to the clerk’s workplace Oct. 21-28.
According to Curry, Armstrong filed a petition to run for trustee in 2022, however was faraway from the poll after an objection was filed as a consequence of her physician itemizing earlier than her title on nomination papers.
Armstrong, when reached looking for a response, mentioned she had no time Wednesday to handle the allegations.
Lynwood spokesman Sean Howard mentioned the mayor’s slate additionally consists of trustees Randall Blakey and David Lilly, who’re operating for re-election, newcomer Bryan Hurt and clerk Karen Wingfield-Bond, additionally operating for re-election.
When Curry took workplace in 2021, she was the primary African American feminine mayor in Lynwood and the primary lady to function village president. Curry defeated Eugene Williams who held the place of president for 16 years.
After being sworn in, Curry advised Southtown that one among his prime priorities was addressing the village’s monetary difficulties and dealing to cut back its a number of million {dollars} in debt. In 2019, Lynwood was sued for owing greater than $1 million in annual charges for threat administration providers to a municipal self-insurance affiliation and was positioned on a cost plan.
Unlike her predecessor, Curry had opposed bringing a on line casino to southern suburban Lynwood and had opposed the village and the Ho-Chunk Nation’s proposal for a on line casino simply east of Illinois 394, north of the Glenwood- Dyer Rd. This location was one among 4 finalists for an Illinois Gaming Board license, which was in the end given to Wind Creek LLC to construct the Wind Creek Chicago Southland Casino straddling Homewood and East Hazel Crest.
Ahead of the election, Curry mentioned Lynwood voters are deeply involved about property taxes, particularly after the Southland skilled its largest property tax enhance in 29 years final summer time, inflicting charges to drop of assortment whereas residents struggled to pay.
“In the South as an entire, assortment charges are low, and falling, and this latest property tax enhance definitely would not assist,” Curry mentioned. “We’re seeing a pattern over the past couple of years the place our percentages had been respectable and now they are going down. So it comes again to the idea that property taxes are going up and other people aren’t in a position to pay them. They are dropping their houses.”
Curry mentioned the Cook County Assessor’s Office visited the village over the summer time to talk to the council and help residents in submitting appeals of the assessed worth of their houses.
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