Homer Township Republicans face off in Tuesday primary

Homer Township — The Homer Township Board is one of only two races in Will County which will face a primary on Tuesday, when two slates of Republican candidates will face off.

Running on the Freedom Caucus Republican slate is a group of incumbents headed by current Township Supervisor Steve Balich. Also running on the slate are Township Clerk Vicki Bozen, Assessor Carmen Maurella III, Highway Commissioner Brent Porfilio, Collector Rose Fialko, and trustee candidates Michael Clausen, Mike Bonomo, Dominic Pacella, and Angel Constance Marie Shake.

They are opposed by a group of Republicans dubbed the Homer Township Reset party, headed by current Homer Glen Village Trustee Sue Steilen, who is running for supervisor. She is joined by Highway Commissioner candidate John Robinson, Clerk candidate Tami O’Brien, Collector Candidate Sara Pallermo, and trustee candidates Keith Grey, Chris Sievers, Ken Marcin, and Don Melody.

At the Lockport City Council meeting on Wednesday, Clausen and Bonomo spoke to Lockport residents who live in Homer Township to remind them of the primary and drum up support for the Freedom Caucus slate of candidates.

At the meeting, they said the Reset Party is in favor of enforcing the Homer Glen referendum from 2024 that voted narrowly to dissolve Homer Township as a governing body.

The referendum was advisory only and was likely not legally enforceable, as it only asked Homer Glen residents and not residents from Lockport and the township’s unincorporated areas.

Still, Bonomo and Clausen emphasized that dissolving the township would be “disastrous” for unincorporated residents, with Clausen stating “the county will not pick up those services like the proponents of the referendum said they would.”

While dissolving a township, which is a unit of government regulated by state law and comprised of a set perimeter, would be legally challenging and present many challenges, Steilen said it is not an issue because her party is not running for township office to dissolve it.

“Our campaign has never been about dissolving the township,” Steilen said. “That has never been part of our platform. We’re for reducing government when applicable, but we are not for dissolving part of it.”

The Reset Party issued an official statement, viewed by the Herald-News which says “the candidates of Homer Township Reset want to reassure all residents that Homer Township will not be dissolved anytime in the foreseeable future. Out focus is on restoring limited government, transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.”

The statement also acknowledges “the power to dissolve a township resides with the Illinois General Assembly” and instead states “we will seek ways to consolidate government while providing the same or better services the township residents are accustomed to.”

“Our campaign has never been about dissolving the township.”

—  Sue Steilen, Homer Township Reset party

Despite these reassurances, Balich and the Freedom Caucus have continued to state Steilen is for eliminating the township government because she was on the record at a Homer Glen Village Board meeting saying “I would be in favor of dissolving the township.”

When asked about her seemingly changed stance Steilen said, “Dissolving the township could mean many things. There are more layers of government in Illinois than there are in most states. I think the township level could be eliminated in the future, but it is a conversation that needs to be started. It’s certainly not happening in the next four years.”

Steilen continued to say that “we can’t get rid of the township government at this time because there is too much unincorporated territory, and I would never support forced annexation. If those areas were absorbed by Lockport and Homer Glen and New Lenox though, then maybe it would be a conversation to have.”

The Reset Party also notes on its Facebook page that one of its candidates, Don Melody, lives in unincorporated Homer Township and “strongly opposes” dissolving the township.

Civic Center

Another point of contention between the two slates of candidates is the construction of a township civic center, which is currently underway.

The previous township board got approval in a referendum to seek grant funding for the construction of a “pole barn style structure” on the Trantina Farm property, located at the intersection of Gougar Road and 151st Street.

The current board received $500,000 in grant funding for the project and spent an additional $1.7 million from the township open spaces funding to construct the facility, which Balich said will be ready for use in May or June.

The facility currently includes minimal amenities, but has heating and air conditioning and full bathrooms and will have a pickle ball court outside made possible through a private donation.

According to Bonomo, these facilities will begin hosting events for seniors this summer.

Steilen and the Reset party have expressed concerns about funding the project going forward. The plans for the facility include additions of a kitchen and stage, but the open spaces fund does not have money to support those projects.

“The construction of this project has drained funds and they don’t have the money to fully finish it,” Steilen said. “They talk about hosting all these programs, but that requires funding that we don’t believe is there.”

Balich accused the his opponents of lying about the funds and said it is “under control.”

“We’re going to be applying for grants for the other amenities,” Balich said, when asked about the future. “Or seeking private donations. We have not raised taxes, and we will not need to raise taxes to finish it. I’ve got it all figured out, and I’ll explain it all after the election. I’m not going to say everything and have them twist it on me.”

Balich also said programs would be run by existing township employees and volunteers, but did not elaborate on where program funds would come from.

Steilen said now that the building exists, should her slate win, they would utilize it, but would not invest further in it.

“We’ll make use of what we have,” she said. “It will serve a purpose, but that may not involve as many programs as they’ve talked about. We’re going to limit its use to what is affordable.”

The Republican Primary for the Homer Township board is on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Voting location information is available on the Will County Clerk website.

Winners of the primary will face democratic opponents in the consolidated election on Tuesday, April 1.