Ballots set for spring elections

Coal City voters will be selecting a new mayor during the 2023 consolidated election on Tuesday, April 4.

Incumbent Mayor Terry Halliday did not file for reelection, setting up a two-way race between incumbent trustees Dave Spesia and Ross Bradley.

Voters will also decide who will serve as village trustees, village clerk plus school and library boards.

Spesia was the first of the two to file and therefore will appear at the top of the ballot.

Halliday will leave village government after 20-plus years of service as both a mayor and trustee.

There will be four candidates running for three seats as village trustees. Incumbents Dan Greggain and Dave Togliatti seek re-election while current village clerk Pam Noffsigner has entered the trustee race as has former mayor and trustee Neal Nelson.

Alexis Stone will run unopposed for the four-year position of village clerk.

In the village of Diamond incumbent Addis “Dean” Johnson was the only to file for re-election for the two commissioner posts. He currently serves as the town’s finance commissioner.

Four seats are up for election on Unit 1 Board of Education and four candidates have filed for the four -year terms.

Appearing on the ballot will be Ken P. Miller, current Board president and incumbent board member Quint Harmon, as well as Daniel P. Engelhardt, who previously served a short-term vacancy and Cynthia [Cindy] Klein.
Board members Robert Bianchetta and Chuck Lander will depart the Board following the spring election.

Miller and Harmon filed simultaneously, so a lottery will be held to determine ballot placement. The lottery is scheduled to take place Wednesday, Dec. 28 in the office of the Grundy County Clerk and Recorder.

The consolidated election will fill three seats on the Coal City Public Library’s Board of Directors—two six-year terms and one unexpired two-year term.

Seeking to serve on the library’s board for a full six year term are Deborah Trotter, the current board president, and Betsy Stahler. Renee McLuckie has filled for the unexpired term.