Village Board Short of Candidates with Deadline Looming

Voters are now ensured a choice between at least two candidates for village president with the filing this week of nomination papers by Greg Goetz. He and Gabe Kolesari will vie for the position on the April ballot presuming no additional candidates for the presidency emerge.

The picture is much different for three trustee seats on the Village Board that are up for election this spring. Only three full business days remain -- Thursday, Friday and next Tuesday -- before the deadline to file nomination papers, and only one trustee candidate is confirmed.

Of the three incumbents, only Tim Dietrich has thus far filed nomination papers. He is running for a second term. Steve Berger is not running and has filed a statement of non-candidacy. Jason Wegner has taken out nomination papers but has not yet turned them in at the clerk-treasurer's office at Village Hall.

In the past, municipal clerks had a good sense for all the candidates who might run since those interested would take out nomination papers in the clerk's office. But with the online availability of the forms and instructions, individuals may be circulating nomination papers with village staff learning merely by word of mouth.

Village Hall is closed next Monday in observance of the New Year's holiday, since it falls on the weekend.

"We may not know our ballot status for candidates until a few moments before 5 p.m. on Tuesday the fourth," said clerk Sue Freiheit. "If not enough candidates file, we could see a write-in campaign for a seat on the Village Board." 

The top three vote-getters earn election since the village votes at-large without respect to geography or wards.