Latest news with #HomerTownshipReset
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daywatch: What we know about primary elections in Chicago's suburbs
Good morning, Chicago. Primary elections were held last night in Chicago's suburbs, and several well-known names were on the ballot. In Dolton, Trustee Jason House declared victory over incumbent Mayor Tiffany Henyard in the Democratic primary. 'The community spoke loud and clear tonight,' House told supporters. 'We faced four years of intimidation, four years of failure.' 'Today marks an end to a dark day in Dolton,' he said. 'Today marks the first day of the future.' In Aurora, unofficial results show incumbent Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and Ald. John Laesch leading to advance through the primary election to be on the April 1 ballot as mayoral candidates. Irvin has been the mayor of Aurora since 2017 and before that was an alderman at-large for 10 years in the city. In 2022, he unsuccessfully ran for governor of Illinois, losing in the Republican primary. Other Democratic contests in Aurora Township included races for clerk between Adam Pauley and Angela Thomas and highway commissioner between incumbent Jason Owens and Donald Ishmael. The Homer Township Reset slate, a group of Republicans challenging the incumbent township administration, was leading by a large margin Tuesday night in the Homer Township Republican primary after all precincts reported, according to unofficial results. The Will County Freedom Caucus headed by incumbent Supervisor Steve Balich sought an additional four years, but the Homer Township Reset slate said they wanted to change the tone of the community. In other elections, incumbents Jada Curry and Lawrence Jackson lead in Lynwood and Riverdale primaries, and Thaddeus Jones declared victory over James Patton in the Calumet City mayoral race. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Federal authorities are investigating two jets that appeared to narrowly avoid a collision at Midway Airport, as a string of recent aviation disasters has caused public confidence in air safety to start to waver. Around 8:50 a.m. Tuesday, a Southwest plane aborted a landing when a business jet entered the runway without authorization, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident. Video circulating on social media shows a dramatic reversal of plans by the Southwest plane. Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration said his latest pension payment and borrowing plan for Chicago Public Schools is imminently needed to avert a city budget deficit, the latest twist in his struggle with CPS leadership over the fate of the school district's finances. At a City Hall news conference, the mayor and Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski addressed their March 30 deadline to persuade the school board to make a $175 million pension payment that is blowing a hole in last year's budget. His team's pitch for the similarly cash-strapped school district to cover that cost — as well as the start of the upcoming Chicago Teachers Union contract — is to issue $242 million in bonds, the Tribune reported last week. Mayor Brandon Johnson tweaks bond plan as City Council set to vote on it On the final day of his life, 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi ate breakfast with his mother, helped her change the sheets on their beds and played an educational game on a cell phone. The kindergartener was getting ready to take a shower when their landlord knocked on the door, his mother Hanan Shaheen testified yesterday. In the moments that followed, Joseph Czuba – who owned the home in unincorporated Plainfield where the family rented two bedrooms – charged at Shaheen and stabbed her with a knife, she testified. She said he screamed during the rampage about the war between Israel and Hamas. More than 3.2 million Social Security recipients who received pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public service jobs will soon see a boost in their benefits. Pope Francis was sitting upright and receiving therapy for double pneumonia today, the Vatican said, as Argentines, Romans and others kept up the steady stream of prayers for his recovery. Francis remained in critical condition but the Holy See machinery ground on, with the announcement of new bishops and a new church fundraising initiative. Sandhill cranes are the latest victims of a particularly persistent strain of avian influenza, killing at least 1,500 of the migrating birds in recent weeks, according to a biologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The NFL scouting combine is in full swing, and Tuesday offered an opportunity for new Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles to provide updates on the team's offseason progress. Johnson and Poles each met with reporters for 15 minutes Tuesday. Here are five key things we learned from those sessions. Column: Chicago Bears aren't making national headlines at this year's NFL combine. That's a welcome change. Nine-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro offensive tackle Jason Peters is retiring after 21 NFL seasons and transitioning into a front-office role with the Seattle Seahawks, general manager John Schneider said Tuesday. Diana Taurasi is retiring after 20 seasons, ending one of the greatest careers in women's basketball history. The WNBA's career scoring leader and a three-time league champion, Taurasi announced her retirement on Tuesday in an interview with Time magazine. The Phoenix Mercury — the only WNBA team she played for — also confirmed her decision. Starbucks is making cuts to its menu, with some of the coffee giant's 'less popular beverages' set to take their final bow next week. A magnet for immigrants, Toronto boasts a deep bench of multicultural neighborhoods, each adding its own flavor and flair to the city's 15,000-plus restaurants. It doesn't have one Chinatown. It has three. More, if you include the suburbs. And lots of 'Littles.' Little Jamaica. Little India. Little Italy. Little Tibet. 'There are all these enclaves of different communities … and you really see it reflected in the food,' said Toronto native and 'Top Chef' judge Gail Simmons. In a room full of Pakistanis, 'I love nihari' is as obvious a statement as 'I like pizza' is to some people, writes Tribune food reporter Ahmed Ali Akbar. At Ali's Nihari & BBQ, sometimes called Ali Nihari, the dish is made traditionally; a hearty cut of beef braised for hours results in a bowl of fall-apart meat with a punch of umami and spice. The red-orange braising liquid at nihari's base is finished in the cooking pot with a partial emulsification with flour, ending up perfectly tandoori naan-scoopable. Fresh green chilis, ginger and lemon toppings freshen up each person's bowl to their taste; modifications with additional bone marrow, brain or ghee infused with a tarka of spices are available as well.
Chicago Tribune
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
ReSet Party declares victory over incumbents in Homer Township Republican primary
The Homer Township Reset slate, a group of Republicans challenging the incumbent township administration, was leading by a large margin Tuesday night in the Homer Township Republican primary after all precincts reported, according to unofficial results. The Will County Freedom Caucus headed by incumbent Supervisor Steve Balich sought an additional four years, but the Homer Township Reset slate, said they wanted to change the tone of the community. The race was fueled by allegations the current administration divides the community, isn't transparent and hires family members of elected officials for full-time township jobs. Members of Homer Township Reset said the existing administration did not respect residents' viewpoints. Residents were chastised during public meetings, and the administration didn't listen to residents' concerns when they tried to sell open space property. The incumbents countered that the Reset group were 'Republicans in name only' or 'Democrats in disguise' after the group received support from the local township Democratic organization. The Freedom Caucus consisted of mostly incumbents seeking their second four-year term, including Balich for supervisor, Clerk Vicki Bozen, Assessor Carmen J. Maurella III, Highway Commissioner Brent Alan Porfilio, Collector Rose M. Fialko and Trustees Mike G. Bonomo, Mike W. Clausen and Angel Constance Shake. The sole newcomer was Dominic Joseph Pacella for trustee. Homer Glen Trustee Susanna Steilen headed the Homer Township Reset as a candidate for supervisor. Joining her were John Robinson for highway commissioner, Tami O'Brien for clerk, Sara Palermo for collector and Ken Marcin, Chris Sievers, Don Melody and Keith Gray for trustees. With all precincts reporting, the Will County election results show 59.44% for Steilen and 40.56% for Balich in the supervisor's race. For clerk, results show O'Brien with 58.3% and Bozen with 41.7%. 'People want good honest government,' Steilen said. 'I don't feel they were getting that. … We are going to have a good team. We are serious about serving the people.' Steilen said township residents turned out for the race, noting one polling place had nearly 1,000 voters Tuesday. 'We will stay to our word,' O'Brien said. 'We will do so much good for this community.' For highway commissioner, Robinson led 58.97% over Porfilio, who captured 41.03% of the vote, according to the unofficial totals. Collector candidate Palermo led with 61.19% over Fialko, who received about 38.81%. In the trustee race, the top four vote-getters were Sievers with 2,407 votes, Gray with 2,341 votes, Marcin with 2399 and Melody with 2,333. They were followed by Clausen with 1,613 votes, Bonomo with 1,609 votes, Pacella with 1,518, and Constance Shake with 1,501. 'People in Homer Township were sick of the negativity,' Melody said. He said the Reset slate put out informative articles about their platform on Facebook. At the end of the day, he said he believed residents appreciated the professionalism. 'People want to get back to treating each other kindly,' Melody said. Township Assessor Maurella ran unopposed. Balich said Monday his slate started the week with a prayer service and believed his slate did everything necessary to win. He touted endorsements by the chair of the Illinois Republican Party, the Will County Republican Central Committee and most Will County township organizations. 'We got huge support from everywhere,' Balich said. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday night. The Reset slate was endorsed by Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike. Construction of a $2.2 million civic center on Trantina Farm was one point of contention during the race. The Homer Township Reset slate accused the administration of failing to seek public input and not disclosing how the project would be funded before construction began. The 2020 referendum approved by voters asked to seek grants to pay for construction of a pole-barn type structure for Trantina Farm, which was previously bought using open space dollars. Critics of the project say only $500,000 in grants were procured before construction began. More grants will be required to pay for amenities such as a kitchen or a stage, Balich has said. The Reset slate was also interested in ending nepotism, noting that Balich's son, Bozen's sister and Shake's husband were full-time employees at the township. They also pushed for the township highway commissioner to be a part-time position as was stated in a 2020 resolution that stated the position would be part-time if the responsibilities were less than 20 miles. The Will County Freedom Caucus campaign accused the members of the Reset group for wanting to dissolve the township after Steilen voted last year to place a referendum on the ballot asking Homer Glen residents if they feel the village should pursue efforts to dissolve or discontinue township government to eliminate duplicative services and save taxpayer money. The Reset group said the power to dissolve a township resides with the Illinois General Assembly, and the slate members are not looking to dissolve the township. They said they are for limited government, transparency and fiscal responsibility. Will County Clerk Annette Parker said Tuesday evening that from the clerk's standpoint, the election went smoothy with ballots and judges. She said there were a few reports of electioneering outside polling places, which were handled. The Reset members will go onto the April 1 consolidated election, but no other candidates have filed.
Chicago Tribune
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Homer Township Reset slate challenges Freedom Caucus incumbents in Republican Primary
Homer Township Supervisor Steve Balich said his first-term highlights include completing necessary repairs using grants for the township-owned senior housing complex and building a $2.2 million civic center on Trantina Farm, which is part of the township's open space program. The administration has been able to accomplish its goals while cutting about $300,000 from the budget, and they have not raised taxes, Balich said. 'When have you ever heard of any government body cutting taxes every year and increasing services?' Balich said. Balich and his Will County Freedom Caucus slate are seeking reelection to various Homer Township offices this spring, but are challenged in the Feb. 25 Republican Primary by the Homer Township Reset slate led by Homer Glen Trustee Susanna Steilen. Steilen said Balich and his administration have caused rifts in the community. She said residents are chastised for speaking out and haven't had input into the administration's plans, citing the civic center and failed attempts to build houses on open space and sell open space. The Homer Township Reset slate is running on changing the tone of township government and treating residents with respect. Its platform includes improving transparency, preserving open space, collaborating with other local governments to avoid duplicative services and being fiscally responsible. 'I think what's really hurting is our community's reputation,' Steilen said. 'I don't see this current administration solving that or healing the community. I think that they are dividing the community.' The candidates The Freedom Caucus is made up of mostly incumbents seeking their second four-year term. Running are Balich for supervisor, Clerk Vicki Bozen, Assessor Carmen J. Maurella III, Highway Commissioner Brent Alan Porfilio, Collector Rose M. Fialko and Trustees Mike G. Bonomo, Mike W. Clausen and Angel Constance Shake. The sole newcomer is Dominic Joseph Pacella for trustee. Fialko, Clausen and Shake were not elected in 2021 but rather appointed during the last four years to fill vacancies. Trustee Ron Rivera is not seeking reelection. Balich said his team has background experience in project management and engineering, allowing the township to save money by not having to hire outside contractors. The slate members are active volunteers, he said. 'Every single one of them is highly qualified in the private sector. That's how we save so much money,' Balich said. 'We've got talent. We have good people. How do you find people like that?' Steilen heads the Homer Township Reset slate as a candidate for supervisor. Joining her are John Robinson for highway commissioner, Tami O'Brien for clerk, Sara Palermo for collector and Ken Marcin, Chris Sievers, Don Melody and Keith Gray for trustees. 'I believe that they have a sincere interest in putting the community first,' Steilen said. 'This is not about them. This is about the community and they really care about the community we live in. They have fine reputations. They are honest, caring people I am happy to be serving with.' Steilen said her slate hails from Homer Glen, Lockport and unincorporated Homer Township and has past government and volunteer experience. Gray is a Homer Township Fire Protection District Commission member and a former Homer Glen trustee. Robinson, the assistant public works director for Oak Forest, is the former coordinator of the Homer Glen Emergency Management Agency. Melody is the Homer Township GOP vice chairman and a former Homer Athletic Club board member. Last year, Balich asked for a recount in the precinct committeeperson race after O'Brien bested him by one vote. One ballot was tossed out because it wasn't initialed by an election judge, and Balich won the position via a lottery. Civic Center project Construction of the civic center has sparked controversy for the last several years. Steilen criticized the Balich administration for not engaging the community on the project before it was built or having a funding plan. 'To put up a civic center on open space property, which is controversial as it is and whether that is appropriate use of the property, they are spending public funds without getting public input,' Steilen said. 'They should have had buy-in from the public to take on this task.' Balich said the project resulted from the 2020 referendum, in which voters approved seeking grants for a multipurpose pole-barn style structure for educational, recreational and community events. The township received a $500,000 federal grant for infrastructure, and the center is expected to open in June with pickleball and space for seniors to play Bingo or practice yoga, Balich said. The township is waiting until it receives other grants for additional amenities such as a kitchen or a stage, Balich said. He said the civic center is centrally located and will include after-school programs and opportunities for individuals with special needs. Meetings have been held in the last two months on what residents want included in the civic center. The township is looking for grants, sponsorships or donations. Balich said the civic center will open without raising taxes, but declined to offer a funding plan. 'I don't want to say exactly how because I ain't going to give them any information on how they can do it; let them figure it out themselves,' Balich said. 'The bottom line is we're going to be able to pay for it without raising taxes. We've got it figured out.' He criticized Steilen for reporting the project to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency when it was receiving free clay fill for the foundation, claiming it cost the township about $125,000. Steilen said she didn't know how township officials could claim the fill wasn't contaminated since they didn't go through a permit process and questioned where they came up with the figure. Steilen said the Trantina Farm open space property has not been properly maintained in the last four years, and its silo is crumbling and playground is rusting. Nepotism Steilen said she would like to end nepotism and patronage hiring, noting three township employees are related to the current administration, including Balich's son, Bozen's sister and Shake's husband. 'Why are these officials hiring their family members to do work for the township, and were those jobs ever posted,' Steilen said. 'I don't see us hiring family members period.' Steilen said all job openings should be advertised to the public and the most qualified candidates should be hired. Balich said the people who work for the township are extremely qualified and trustworthy, adding he wouldn't be able to find other individuals who would work for the wages the township is paying. 'I didn't hire my son,' Balich said. '(Assessor) Carmen Maurella hired my son. That's a different division. But my son has a talent that was needed by them.' Trustee Shake's husband, Jim, is on 24-hour call and fixes issues within the senior housing complex, Balich said. 'He's working for basically peanuts,' Balich said. 'No complaints.' Homer Township Road District Steilen said her administration would eliminate taxpayer funded vehicles for township employees and reduce the highway commissioner to a part-time role. The Highway Department is responsible for roughly 18 miles of road. Steilen said she doesn't think the highway commissioner should take a full-time salary of about $61,000 a year for such few road miles. A wage and benefit compensation resolution passed in 2020 states if the township road district's total responsibility drops below 20 miles, the commissioner's salary will be reduced to $15,000 annually without insurance or pension benefits. 'He's collected $45,000 more per year than he's entitled to,' Steilen said. Balich said the highway commissioner received a part-time salary until the administration was threatened with a lawsuit by a downstate watchdog organization that claimed a highway commissioner is always on-call regardless of the number of miles, and therefore is a full-time position. Balich said Porfilio, who is an engineer with a construction certification from the Illinois Department of Transportation, has saved the township money and eliminated the need to have an outside engineering firm. Balich said Steilen is in favor of eliminating township government. Steilen, who voted in favor of a referendum proposal asking if Homer Glen should pursue leaving the township, said she is not out to dissolve the township, but would consider seeing if municipalities could service the unincorporated roads, eliminating the need for the road district. She said this would be more cost effective. She said it is a 'scare tactic' that her slate would force unincorporated areas into being annexed by a neighboring municipality. 'There's no way we would force anybody to annex,' Steilen said. Goals Balich said his administration has had several successes. The township leads regular senior programs where between 100 and 125 residents play Bingo. The administration also initiated a Senior Expo and Pet Fest and offered various holiday events. He said getting the civic center completed and creating programs is one of his main goals if reelected. Steilen said her group wants to ensure open space is preserved, noting residents voted to adopt the open space program to preserve its rural heritage. She said the administration was out-of-touch with residents' wishes when it tried to develop housing on the Welter Farm and sell the Paul and Purdy farms. Steilen said her group would get community input before taking on capital projects, and she wants to improve transparency by opening bids in public and posting board meeting packets online. Balich said the board began posting its meeting packets online in January, but denied it was related to the election. Rather, it was to reduce the number of Freedom of Information Act requests. Both slates have said they do not plan to raise taxes. Divisive politics One of the major themes from the campaigns is which party is more Republican. 'Our group is MAGA Republicans,' Balich said. 'We're part of the people that believe that America comes first.' Balich accused the Homer Township Reset slate of being 'Republican in name only' and said Democrats have been campaigning for his opponents. 'As Republicans I would have told (the Democratic Party) I don't want your endorsement, and that's a huge issue,' Balich said. 'You don't have Republicans being endorsed by Democrats and accepting it.' The reset slate said its opponents are trying to weaponize these endorsements by claiming they are 'Democrats in disguise.' Steilen said the slate has been lifelong Republicans with conservative principles of smaller government and fiscal responsibility. The reset slate released a statement saying the endorsements they received from Republicans, Democrats and Independents were not solicited, but rather reflected the broad support from the community. 'At the local level, partisan politics should take a back seat to serving the community,' the statement said. 'This race is not about scoring political points but about solving real problems for real people.' Homer Township includes Homer Glen and portions of Lockport, New Lenox and Lemont. Homer Township voters only have the option of a Republican primary. No other candidates filed to run for the April 1 election, so whoever wins the primary will likely be unopposed.
