Arlington Heights Voters To Decide On Village, School Boards

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Election Day is upon us. The polls in Suburban Cook County open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will remain so until 7 p.m. Election officials say that if you're in line by 7, you will be able to vote no matter how long the line is.

Arlington Heights voters will weigh in on a number of contested races including Village Board, two Board of Education races and library board.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS VILLAGE BOARD (CONTESTED)

Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Arlington Heights Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot. See links below for answers to our candidate questionnaires.

Six candidates are vying for four four-year trustee seats on the Arlington Heights Village Board on Election Day.

INCUMBENTS

Richard Baldino, 53, is seeking his second term on the board, and has been an environmental chemist for 27 years.

"I'm running to follow through on some really important work started in my first term: infrastructure improvements, addressing affordable housing, renewable energy funds, restructuring Village events and commerce in response to the pandemic, and the DEI initiative," Baldino said.

Jim Tinaglia, 59, is the owner of Tinaglia Architects for the past 30 years, and has been a trustee since 2013.

"The current highest profile issue facing our Board will also be the most impactful issue facing our entire community...and beyond," Tinaglia said. "With the recent official announcement that Arlington Park will close after the 2021 season, the significant tax generating potential of 326 acres of prime real estate will be in front of us."

CHALLENGERS

Jim Bertucci, 61, has been an investment advisor and financial consultant for 33 years. Previously, he has served on the Board of Library Trustees for the Arlington Heights Memorial Library

"Currently, the single most pressing issue is navigating the present COVID Virus crisis to keep our residents safe and to help our businesses survive and recover," Bertucci said. "As a Village Trustee, I would contribute by using my leadership and financial planning expertise to help current short-term and future long-term expense and revenue planning to strengthen post-pandemic recovery.

Will Beiersdorf (no response to questionnaire received) is the executive director of the Road House Program: The Center for Veterans and Their Families At Rush University Medical Center, according to his Linkedin profile.

Wendy Dunnington, 48, works in District 25 as a classroom assistant and guest teacher.

"I'm concerned about the water main breaks in Arlington Heights. In the 2021 budget, the Village reported that 'water main breaks are used as an indicator of system condition.' According to the American Water Works Association, water utilities should strive for between 25 and 30 water main breaks per 100 miles of water main per year," Dunnington said. "Over the last six years, the Village is averaging 88 breaks per 100 miles of water main."

Nicolle Grasse, 54, has worked as a hospice chaplain with VITAS Healthcare for 28 years.

"The single most pressing issue facing our community and Village board is the COVID-19 pandemic," Grasse said. "The effects of COVID-19 trauma on us individually, communally and economically will bring challenges to our Village for many years to come. These challenges will require creative and comprehensive recovery plans from our board."

Arlington Heights Village Board members are elected at large on a non-partisan basis, serving as the community’s decision-makers. The Village Board members are composed of eight trustees, and one Village President, who is Mayor Tom Hayes. He is running unopposed in this election.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT 25 (OPPOSED)

Eight candidates are vying for four seats on the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education on Election Day. See links below for our candidate questionnaires.

The candidates include three incumbents (Gina Faso, Richard Olejniczak and Anisha Patel) and five challengers (Melisa Andrews, Katie Rausch, Gregory Scapillato, Deborah Tranter and Todd Witherow).

TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 214 (OPPOSED)

Eight candidates are competing for four seats on the Township High School District 214 Board of Education on Election Day. Incumbents Mark Hineman, Mildred Palmer and Leonard Walker are being challenged by Elizabeth Bauer, Richard Menninga, Andrea Rauch, Tony Rosselli and Jackie Ryan.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOARD (OPPOSED)

Three candidates are vying for two seats (six-year terms) on the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Board of Trustees. Incumbent Carole Medal (current vice president) is joined by Sarah Galla and Emma Kaden on the ballot. Current trustee Christine Tangney is not running for reelection.

A vacant seat, which carries a two-year term is also up for grabs with three candidates slotted on the ballot for the spot. Jennifer Borrell, Violet Jaffe and Anne (Amy) Somary are vying for the seat.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS PARK DISTRICT

Only two candidates are on the ballot for three seats (four-year terms) on the Arlington Heights Park District Board of Commissioners. Commissioners Maryfran H. Leno (current president) and Tim Gelinas (current vice president) are seeking reelection. H. William Ploger is not seeking another term.

FINAL DAY OF EARLY VOTING

Through Monday, residents can still early vote at 51 sites in Suburban Cook County. In Arlington Heights, early voting is taking place at Arlington Heights Village Hall, 33 S Arlington Heights Road. Hours for early voting are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 5. Find a complete list of locations on the Cook County Clerk's website.

Click here to view the wait times for each Early Voting location

DROP BOX LOCATIONS

As with the November 2020 elections, drop boxes are back. Through April 5, four locations will have ballot drop boxes. Cook County staff will monitor the drop boxes daily during hours of service between 9 a.m.-4 p.m., including weekends. Mail ballots will be collected from the drop boxes a minimum of one time daily or as warranted and delivered to Cook County Elections for processing.

People dropping off mail ballots will be required to adhere to COVID-19 and other safety and security related protocols established for the Cook County courthouses. Drop box locations are:

• Skokie: Skokie Courthouse, 5600 W. Old Orchard Road, Skokie
• Markham: Markham Courthouse, 16501 S. Kedzie Avenue, Markham
• Maywood: Cook County Clerk’s Office, Whitcomb Building, 1311 Maybrook Square, Room 104, Maywood
• Downtown Chicago: Cook County Clerk's Office, 69 W. Washington, Suite 500, Chicago

REGISTER TO VOTE

During the early voting period for the April 6 consolidated election (March 22 to April 5), voters can register and vote in person at one of the Cook County Clerk's designated Early Voting locations.

For more information on when voters need and don't need identification, visit the Cook County Clerk's Office here.

If you are a candidate running for office, a resident looking to endorse a candidate or just want to weigh in on the election, please do so here.