LP_041317

4 | April 13, 2017 | The Lockport Legend Election 2017
lockportlegend.com
Streit re-elected as mayor in landslide
Max Lapthorne, Editor
Incumbent Lockport
mayor Steve Streit earned a
decisive victory
over challenger
Joey
Jeraminas,
according to
unofficial results
from the
Will County Streit
Clerk’s website.
“We’re excited about
having another opportunity
to continue to work for the
city of Lockport,” Streit
said during a phone interview
on election night.
Much of Streit’s work will
continue through the State
Street construction project,
Lockport Square retail center
and Capital Improvement
Plan. Those three projects
accounted for much of the
motivation for Streit to run
for a second term, as previously
reported by The Legend.
The State Street project is
set to take place during the
summer of 2018, and Streit
is determined to minimize
the construction’s effect on
local businesses. As for the
Lockport Square retail center,
Holiday Inn and Panera
Bread have both signed contracts
to build there, while
more infrastructure projects
are upcoming as part of the
CIP.
Streit, who will be entering
his second term as
mayor, received 2,369 votes
(73.75 percent), while Jeraminas
totaled 843 votes
(26.25 percent). Streit held
a lead in early voting, voting
by mail and election day
voting.
“We’re very pleased, very
excited to continue on with
the work that we’ve been
working on,” he said.
Streit won 14 of the 15
precincts, losing Homer Precinct
1 by a count of 41-10.
His most decisive victory
came in Lockport Precinct
19 — the largest precinct
in the race — where he carried
321 of the possible 381
votes.
A focus of Streit’s campaign
was the continued
improvement and growth
of the downtown area and
Lockport Square corridor.
During his time as mayor,
he has introduced events
such as the Summer Arts
Series in an attempt to attract
more people to downtown.
“They see some of the
changes that have been happening,”
Streit said. “They
just started to see it come
and start to sprout. ... I think
people feel positive about
the direction we’re going.”
Saban unseats Capadona in First Ward
Max Lapthorne, Editor
Challenger Renee Saban
unseated incumbent Kris
Capadona for
the First Ward
alderperson
position in
Lockport, according
to
unofficial results
on the Saban
Will County
Clerk’s website.
With all seven precincts
reporting, Saban held a 413-
252 (62.11-37.89 percent)
lead over Capadona. Saban
carried six of the seven
precincts, with Capadona
claiming Homer Precinct 13
by a 31-27 tally.
“I’m looking forward
to working with the City
Council of Lockport,” Saban
said.
Capadona had served on
the City Council since being
elected in 2013. Saban
is a realtor, a member of the
Lockport Rotary Club and
Vice President of the Homer
Glen Area Chamber Of
Commerce. She moved to
Lockport 18 years ago and
is in favor of many of the
decisions the council has
made recently, such as the
focus to develop the downtown
area. She does hope to
work to increase Lockport’s
commercial tax base, as
previously reported by The
Legend.
Saban is excited to start
working alongside the existing
members of the council
and continue down the path
the City is currently on.
“I’m looking forward
to getting started keeping
the good things that are
going moving forward,” she
said.
Library referendum fails for third time
Max Lapthorne, Editor
The White Oak Library
District’s request for a
.0305 percent increase to
the limiting tax rate for levy
year 2017 was denied by
voters in the Consolidated
Election, according to unofficial
results from the Will
County Clerk’s website.
White Oak Library Director
Scott Pointon cited low
voter turnout, especially in
Romeoville, where there
wasn’t a contested mayoral
race, as a contributing factor
to the referendum’s failure
to pass.
“I don’t know that there’s
anything we would have
necessarily done differently,”
Pointon said. “[Voter
turnout] was kind of out of
our control.”
With all 35 precincts
reporting, 4,757 voters
(60.54 percent) said “no”
to the proposal, while 3,101
(39.46 percent) voted “yes.”
The White Oak Library
District, which serves Romeoville,
Crest Hill and
Lockport, planned to use the
funds generated by the referendum
to increase library
hours, increase outreach
services and install a digital
media lab, as previously reported
by The Legend.
“This referendum was
about funding expansion of
our services,” Pointon said.
Please see LIBRARY, 7
295359_5.5_x_5.indd 1
4/6/17 8:35 AM
election
From Page 3
Barb Boyce and Dean Morelli
retaining their seats
with 13.52 percent and
13.42 percent of the vote,
respectively. Barb Delaney
and Gregg Bickus, of the
Republican slate, won seats
with 13.70 percent and
12.52 percent, respectively.
Delaney said she was
grateful that a few of the
Republican candidates were
elected and was proud of
the “clean campaign” run
by both parties. While she
didn’t have any specific
plans yet for her term, she
did say she wanted to increase
transparency moving
forward.
“I’m very grateful that we
got a few of our individuals
in,” Delaney said. “There
seems to be a lot of disconnect
between voters and
Township government the
way it is now.
“When we were out campaigning
and walking with
people, they didn’t even really
know what the Township
government even does,
and to me, that’s disconnect.
... [I just want to] find
new ways to get out to them
what [the Township] has to
offer and what’s going on in
the community.”
While the Democratic
party was disappointed the
entire slate didn’t win, Alberico
said he is excited to
move forward with those
who won.
“We’re about in the same
position we were four years
ago,” he said. “We lost the
highway [commissioner]
and we one lost one trustee’s
position. Of course I
think the guys that ran with
me are wonderful guys and
I appreciate all the hard
work they put into it. I know
I’ll be willing to work good
with John Cielenski and
Mrs. [Barb] Delaney.”