Algonquin trustee candidate knocked off ballot for spring election

The Algonquin Village Board election is now uncontested after candidate Julie Bevel was knocked off the ballot for an insufficient number of resident signatures.

Algonquin resident John Cygan filed an objection against Bevel’s nomination papers for village trustee citing “inadequate completion and incorrect information,” he said at the village’s Municipal Electoral Board hearing Monday.

Some signatures had addresses from Lake in the Hills and other places outside Algonquin village limits. Cygan also noted missing signatures and dates by Bevel on some documents.

“When I saw this, I didn’t think this was taken very seriously,” he said.

Three trustee seats are up for the April 1 election, those now held by Robert Smith, Laura Brehmer and Jerry Glogowski. All three incumbents are running for reelection.

A total of 10 signatures were stricken from Bevel’s petition, leaving her 10 short of the required 156. Eight signatures were tossed because they were from non-Algonquin residents and two because Bevel did not have the header filled out on one of the pages.

Bevel said she didn’t know about the opportunity to run for trustee until late October and got 156 signatures in 11 days.

“I’m learning. I did my best. I would be fully committed to this position,” she said. “I understand rules are rules.”

The filing period for the April 1 election was nearly three weeks earlier than in years past, when local candidates had until early December to turn in candidate packets. Lawmakers in Springfield passed a law that moved dates up to ensure “ballot certainty,” said Joe Tirio, McHenry County clerk and the county’s chief election official. With the earlier deadline, the hope is all candidate objections and appeals will be finished before ballots are printed.

Bevel has been an Algonquin resident for 11 years, is a member of the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce and owns Algonquin-based Fox River Spa and Salon, which opened in 2017. The Algonquin electoral board consists of Village President Debby Sosine, Clerk Fred Martin and Trustee John Spella.

“I’ll try again,” Bevel said.