Two slates battle to lead to Homer Township
The Homer Township election began as a contentious one with a petition challenge to one slate of candidates, but now voters have the opportunity to choose between the Homer Township United slate led by incumbent Supervisor Pam Meyers and a Republican slate headed by Will County Board member Steve Balich.
Meyers, seeking her fourth term, is running with trustee candidates Ed Kalas, Tom Fijan, Sharon Sweas and Ken Marcin, and Kathleen Kruczek for clerk, Karen Szynkowski for assessor, John Ash for township highway commissioner and Quinn Polaski for collector.
“We are a combination of incumbents and newcomers who want to get involved and bring fresh ideas to the township,” Meyers said. “Most are already active volunteers and their professional backgrounds will be very beneficial.”
Balich is running with trustee candidates Matt Connelly, Angela Adolf, Mike Bonomo and Rob Rivera, and Vicki Bozen for clerk, Carmen Maurella for assessor, Brent Porfilio for township highway commissioner and Mark Gawron for collector.
“Our slate has people who are active in the community in a lot of different ways,” Balich said. “They come with a lot of experience. They all want to volunteer to do good things for the township.”
Balich supporter Tony Drabik challenged the signatures on the Meyers-led slate of candidates. The local electoral board, the Will County Circuit Court and the Appellate Court affirmed that the Homer Township United candidates can remain on the ballot.
The challenges have cost more than $16,000 in taxpayer fees, according to Meyers.
Road district
The next township board will have to address a dispute over the Homer Township Road District. Homer Glen is seeking the road district’s assets through a transfer of stewardship, which the township has opposed. The township filed a lawsuit in December.
Meyers said she is concerned that if the village takes the road district’s assets, the township would not have the equipment necessary to maintain the roads for the unincorporated residents. The township has argued the takeover is unfair as all residents paid for the equipment. Meyers wants a judge to decide, and she doesn’t want unincorporated residents to be without road services.
Balich said he feels frustrated that the township and the village couldn’t have worked out a deal before the lawsuit was filed and now Homer Glen residents have to pay lawyers for the township, the village and the road district.
“The whole road district thing is a nightmare,” Balich said. “The
whole debacle is costing the taxpayers money.”
Balich said if the township lawsuit fails, the township still has to maintain 18 miles of unincorporated roads. He said he feels confident he can sit down and work out a deal with Homer Glen.
“I can’t have it where my road commissioner doesn’t have the equipment to do his job,” Balich said.
Homer Township United
Meyers said she feels she has accomplished a lot during her 12 years, including establishing reserves, rebuilding a maintenance garage, paying off the open space bond and decreasing the tax rate. The township has also refurbished tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds and exercise equipment at its parks and is working on an intergovernmental plan to expand Morris Park.
The township has also worked with various youth sports organizations and the Lincoln-Way and Northern Will County Special Recreation organizations, she said. The township manages a senior housing community that has a wait list and is expanding its Pace bus services for seniors and individuals with special needs, Meyers said.
The board has also worked with the Lockport Heights Sanitary District to upgrade an obsolete water supply system, Meyers said.
“The township serves its citizens by being fiscally responsible and frugal with taxpayer dollars while continuing to provide great parks, beautiful open spaces and affordable senior housing,” said Trustee Ed Kalas.
Meyers said priorities are upgrading park amenities, expanding senior bus service and seeking grants to pay for a community event center at Trantina Park, which voters approved in November.
Trustee Tom Fijan said he hopes to build the multipurpose building using grants. He said one of the board’s accomplishments has been upgrading the parks annually.
Sharon Sweas said her experiences on Homer Glen committees and her involvement with the township helps her understand the residents’ needs. She wants to improve the parks and sports fields and continue to help the seniors and individuals with special needs.
Ken Marcin said he wants to keep a strong partnership with nonprofit organizations, expand programs and renovate parks and sports fields.
“I have attended many of the township board meetings, and the residents have indicated that these services are most important to them while continuing to keep taxes as low as possible,” Marcin said.
For more information, go to www.homertownshipunited.com.
Homer Township Republicans
Balich said township leadership isn’t providing the services that residents expect and isn’t transparent. He said his slate is a solid mix of area volunteers, professionals and tradesmen.
His slate proposes to videotape and post the meetings to the township website, shop around for purchases that cost more than $50 and seek bids on all contracts no matter how small. Balich said he is also in favor of term limits for the township board, seeking out cost-cutting opportunities and rebating unused funds to the tax payers.
He said his experience provides him with a unique perspective, and his county board work will complement his duties as township supervisor.
Balich said he has questions about the event or community center residents approved in the fall. The township board has said it will seek grants to cover construction costs and could charge a nominal fee for individuals or organizations that use it.
Balich said he is against such a center competing with banquet halls and restaurants that are struggling now. He said he is concerned that future boards could also raise taxes to maintain the event center.
“Our board wouldn’t want to do any tax increase,” Balich said.
Trustee candidate Rob Rivera said he wants to find ways to cut costs and consolidate services so that taxpayers in Homer Glen, Lockport and New Lenox aren’t paying for duplicate services.
Rivera said he has loved watching more parks being developed over the years, but would also like to see increased services and opportunities for senior citizens. Rivera, whose parents recently moved in with him, said he feels neighboring communities have more to offer their seniors.
Angela Adolf also said she wants to raise the level of township services and said she brings common sense leadership.
Trustee candidate Mike Bonomo said he feels his work experience in sales and listening to peoples’ concerns would benefit the township board.
“An elected official’s job is to perform the same task — listen to your constituents and resolve their issues,” Bonomo said.
Connelly could not be reached for comment.
For more information, go to www.homer-gop.com.
Supervisor candidates Steve Balich
Slate: Homer Township Republicans
Age: Declined
Occupation: Will County Board member
Lived in township: 24 years
Civic experience: County board member 2013 to present; Will County Forest Preserve commissioner; chair of the Homer Township Republican Organization; former township clerk; former township trustee
Pam Meyers
Slate: Homer Township United
Age: 64
Occupation: incumbent supervisor
Lived in township: 31 years
Civic experience: Supervisor 2009 to present; former township trustee; former president of the Rolling Glen Homeowners Association
Trustee candidates Angela Adolf
Slate: Homer Township Republicans
Age: 47
Occupation: Fifth grade teacher; executive director of the Lockport-Homer Youth Theater
Lived in township: 18 years
Civic experience: former president, vice president and member of the Homer Elementary School District 33C Board; LTHS Foundation board member
Mike Bonomo
Slate: Homer Township Republicans
Age: 55
Occupation: VP Sales/ Marketing
Lived in township: 24 years
Civic experience: Homer precinct committeeman; Homer Athletic Club coach; member of Knights of Columbus; former president of the Creekside Estates Homeowners Association
Tom Fijan
Slate: Homer Township United
Age: Declined
Occupation: Retired electrical contractor
Lived in Homer Township: 60 years
Civic experience: Homer Township trustee 2015 to present; chairman of the open space planning and operations committee; former member of the Homer Township Planning Committee; served with the Homer Township Fire Department
Ed Kalas
Slate: Homer Township
United
Age: 61
Occupation: Mortgage broker
Lived in township: 30 years
Civic experience: Homer Township trustee 2013 to present; chair of the parks and recreation committee; member of the Homer Community Festival committee
Ken Marcin
Slate: Homer Township United
Age: 53
Occupation: IT logistical le
Lived in township: 20 years
Civic experience: former Homer Athletic Club board member
Rob Rivera
Slate: Homer Township Republicans
Age: 49
Occupation: Pipe fitter
Lived in township: 19 years
Civic experience: former Homer Athletic Club board member; former board member for the First Church of Nazarene; Elder at New Life Church
Sharon Sweas
Slate: Homer Township United
Age: Declined
Occupation: Retired
Lived in township: 18 years
Civic experience: Homer Glen village trustee, 2013 to present; former mayor pro tem for Homer Glen; chair of the village environment committee; served on several village committees including administration and finance, special events and parks and recreation