Efforts underway in Normal to throw out election petitions for jobs that don’t exist

Posted on December 7, 2022

*Town of Normal’s Electoral Board. (Photo courtesy 25 News)*

NORMAL – Two residents of Normal, including an ex-town council member, have formally objected to election petitions for two government jobs that don’t exist, and a third that is an appointed position.

The objections were filed Monday, which is the first step toward a possible legal battle. They call for the town’s electoral board to throw out the petitions for candidates seeking election as the town’s supervisor, collector and town clerk.

Normal does not have a supervisor or collector. Normal has a town clerk, but it’s an appointed post.

Supervisor candidate Robert Shoraga, Collector candidate Charles Sila, Clerk candidate Amy Conklin and their backers say state law requires the election of all three positions for incorporated towns like Normal.

The objections were filed by former council member Jeffrey Fritzen and Patrick Dullard, who this fall successfully fought off efforts to place a referendum on the November ballot to divide the town into six districts.

Fritzen and Dullard will be represented by former Normal and Bloomington City Attorney Todd Greenburg. He represented Dullard in the districting dispute.

The electoral board will review the objections Friday at 11 a.m. in council chambers. The board’s decision can be appealed in court.

The electoral board consists of Mayor Chris Koos, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McCarthy, and Town Clerk Angie Huonker. The clerk won’t hear this case because her office is involved in the fued. Huonker will be replaced by Council member Scott Preston.

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