THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: The Danville Election Commission office is located in the county administration building.
DANVILLE — Danville School District 118 has two write-in candidates running for the four open board seats in the April 1 election.
Candidates are current board member Darlene Halloran, former board member Christopher Easton, Toni Kimberline Towne and write-ins Tom Halloran, who is Darlene’s husband; and Harsha Gurujal, who has previously run for the school board.
Four four-year terms are up for election on the school board — the seats now held by President Randal Ashton (a 20-year member), Tyson Parks and Shannon Schroeder, all who decided not to seek re-election.
Thursday was the deadline for write-in candidates for the April 1 election.
In other local election news, a hearing is being repeated at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 5 in the county administration building regarding an objection to Danville City Council Ward 1 candidate Jaleel Jones’ candidate paperwork.
The Danville Election Commission in December ruled that Jones can remain on ballot. The decision came after the commission the week prior heard evidence from both sides after current Ward 7 Alderman Darren York filed an objection to Jones’ election petition.
York claimed Jones’ nominating papers were not filled out correctly because they stated he was running for alderman and not specifically Ward 1 alderman. Jones is challenging incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Robert Williams.
Another hearing for the complaint is needed due to the Danville Election Commission not posting an agenda on the December meeting at least 48 hours in advance as required by the Open Meetings Act. There was complaint about the alleged violation with the Public Access Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office.
Danville Election Commission Executive Director Sandy Delhaye said it was her responsibility to post the agenda on the commission’s website, and it wasn’t ahead of time. She said the hearing wasn’t a regular commission meeting and she hadn’t posted it.
“We will have everything again,” Delhaye said about another hearing.
She said the attorney general’s office and everyone has been notified.
The hearing this time also will be in the second-floor county board conference room which is larger to accommodate people instead of the smaller room that hearings have been conducted in near the downstairs commission office.
The commission previously ruled that Jones can stay on the ballot. The commission said York, the objector, “must reside within the ward where the candidate is running. Mr. York, per the address listed on his objection at paragraph 1, does not reside within Ward 1, therefore he lacks standing to object to Mr. Jones’ petition and his objection must be denied for that reason.”
Also, Jones’ nominating papers still had enough registered voter signatures required, despite some being removed due to ineligibility; and despite Jones’ papers not listing Ward 1 but only alderman as the position he’s running for, the commission ruled, “Mr. York has provided no case law or statutory authority which specifically indicates that ‘Alderman,’ without an appended ward number is insufficient. The commission notes that there is only one alderperson position for whom someone living at Mr. Jones’ address could run, and that is Alderman, Ward 1. Mr. Jones’ nomination papers clearly state the office he is seeking is alderman. They also list his address, which is within Ward 1. The commission therefore finds that Mr. Jones complied with the statutory requirement that the nomination papers indicate the office being sought.”
The commission, made up of commissioners, Tom Mellen and Frank Young, said the objection is denied.
Delhaye said she doesn’t know who will be attending the new hearing and if any new information will be presented to change the commission’s decision.
The commission has a new commissioner now too to replace David Ryan who died. Taking his place on the commission is his daughter, Katie Osterbur. She was not part of the first hearing and Delhaye doesn’t know if Osterbur will be present at this re-hearing.
FOR COMPLETE ACCESS TO NEWS GAZETTE ARTICLE PLEASE GO TO https://www.news-gazette.com/business/danville-school-district-attracts-two-write-in-election-candidates-alderman-case-will-be-reheard/article_570ee1a4-de67-11ef-8cde-737fcac45ee4.html
