Turnout for the Consolidated Election in Palatine and across suburban Cook County was abysmal Tuesday, with less than 20 percent of registered voters turning out. Voters had decisions to make regarding school boards, village councils and other local governments. Despite the fact these governing bodies are funded through property taxes and make decisions that influence property tax bills–often a hot topic–voters chose to stay in droves. After 24 years of service on the Palatine Village Council, District 5 Council member Jack Wagner was defeated by challenger Kollin Kozlowski. In unofficial …

School District 15 will have a new board April 27. The slate of three challengers–known as 1-3-5–won a clean sweep Tuesday. In unofficial returns Scott Herr received the most votes with 5,670, followed by Gerard Iannuzzelli with 5,217 and Manjula Sriram with 5,109. The results were based on 86 of 88 precincts reporting. Incumbent board members Gerald Chapman, James Ekeberg and David Seiffert garnered 3,573, 3,787 and 3,816 votes respectively. All involved in the election agreed that the school board had been marred by personality conflicts and factionalism in the past. Herr said he hoped the …

Long-time Palatine District 5 Village Council member Jack Wagner lost his bid for re-election Tuesday against newcomer Kollin Kozlowski. In unofficial returns, Kozlowski had 592 votes to 455 for Wagner with all precincts reporting. Wagner stopped by Lamplighters, 60 N. Bothwell St., to congratulate Kozlowski. "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now," Wagner said with a chuckle. "I kind of had a feeling. You know you get a feeling, things are changing, people want change. They just think that maybe some of us old guys need to move aside and let some of the new fresh ideas come in." …

In unofficial returns ...UPDATED: 11:45 P.M. April 5 School District 15  results (86 of 88 precincts reported) Vote for three Manjula Sriram 5,109 James G. Ekeberg 3,787 Scott Herr 5,670 Gerald D. Chapman 3,573 Gerard Iannuzzelli 5,217 David W. Seiffert 3,816 High School District 211 results (172 of 173 precincts reported) Vote for four George P. Brandt 9,367 Charles Fritz 6,686 Roman G. Golash 5,911 Richard Gerber 9,152 Bill Robertson 8,921 M. Bryan Neal 6,374 Mucia A. Burke 7,587 Palatine Village Council District 5 (13 of 13 precincts reported) Vote for one Kollin Kozlowski 592 Jack Wagner …

Palatine resident Bill Robertson won a seat on the Township High School District 211 school board Tuesday. Robertson finished third in a crowded field of seven candidates. School board members George Brandt and Richard Gerber, both Schaumburg residents, were reelected with 9,367 and 9,152 votes respectively with 172 of 173 precincts reporting. Robertson had 8,921 votes. Newcomer and Schaumburg resident Mucia Burke also will join the board. She finished fourth with 7,587 votes. "The biggest thing that citizens seemed receptive to was the fact that I want to bring financial transparency to the …

The six candidates vying for three seats on the District 15 school board squared off at a public forum Thursday. The forum took place in the gymnasium of Walter Sundling Jr. High School. Early voting for the April 5 election already is underway. Registered voters can cast their ballot at the Palatine Village Hall, 200 E. Wood St. The District 15 race includes three incumbents Gerald Chapman, James Ekeberg and Dave Seiffert. Chapman and Ekeberg were elected four years ago, Seiffert was appointed to the board to fill a vacant seat. The challengers—Scott Herr, Manjula Sriram and Gerard …

Early voting in Cook County has begun and will continue through March 31. In Palatine, early voting is available at the Palatine Village Hall, 200 E. Wood St. Early voting is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Other locations for early voting include the Rolling Meadows Courthouse at 2121 Euclid Ave., in Rolling Meadows and the Cook County Clerk's Main Office at 69 W. Washington St.-Pedway, Chicago. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit the Cook County Clerk's web site. Reisdents of Palatine also can type in their address and view a sample ballot under the "…

Six candidates are vying for three open seats on the Community Consolidated School District 15 board in the April 5 election. Palatine Patch asked each candidate to answer questions related to their candidacy. Gerald Chapman Biography: 45 year resident of District 15 Former public school teacher and administrator who understands educational issues Provided positive and fiscally-responsible leadership as 11-year superintendent in District 211 District 15, Board Member, 2007-present Palatine Rural Fire Protection District, Trustee and Treasurer, 2004-present Palatine Rural Fire Pension Board, …

Three village council seats are up in the April 5 election. The only contested race, however, is in District 5 where incumbent Jack Wagner faces a challenge from Kollin Kozlowski. Kollin Kozlowski Biography: A life-long resident of the Northwest suburbs, I grew up in Elmwood Park and attended Holy Cross High School in River Grove. At Northern Illinois University, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Public Administration and a minor in Business Administration. I continued on to Roosevelt University, earning a Masters in Business Administration with a major in Finance. …

Seven candidates are vying for four open seats in Township High School District 211 April 5 school board election. Palatine Patch asked each candidate to answer questions related to their candidacy. Bill Robertson Biography: Bill Robertson lives in Palatine. He graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree, received his Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Rockford College, and completed his Master of Arts in School Leadership degree from Concordia University Chicago. A former teacher, Robertson is a high school administrator working as an assistant principal…

Updated. Incumbent Democrat Melissa Bean trailed Republican and TEA Party backed candidate Joe Walsh by about 553 votes with all precincts reporting. In unofficial returns, Walsh led Bean 97,403 to 96,850. Walsh bested Bean in McHenry and Lake counties, Bean did better in Cook County. Bean spokesperson Jonathan Lipman released the following statement: "This election is still too close to call. There are still thousands of votes left to be counted, and we are still working to understand the provisional and absentee ballot situation. We will continue to work to understand the will of the voters…

Republican Tom Morrison soundly defeated Democrat Matt Flamm to become the 54th District State Representative. With 77 of 81 precincts reporting in unofficial results, Morrison was leading by a count of 18,437 to 11,197. For Morrison, the win Nov. 2 was the end of a long election road that began with an upset primary challenge win against the Republican incumbent, Suzie Bassi. "I'm tired but happy," Morrison said. "We had a nice, clean campaign that addressed the issues and we had the people's support." Morrison and Flamm ended up at the same place on Election Day, by coincidence. Each man …

Community Consolidated School District 15's referendum for authorization to issue $27 million in working cash bonds was soundly defeated by voters Nov. 2. In unofficial returns, with 83 of 88 precincts reporting, the margin was 19,282 "no" to 9,550 "yes." "I credit the community for getting themselves informed on this issue," said Mary Vanek, a member of Citizens for Accountability in D15, a group that opposed the referendum. The more than 2-to-1 margin was not surprising to those who organized opposition to the measure or to school district officials. "I don't think it's entirely surprising…

Election Day arrives Nov. 2, with polls opening at 6 a.m and closing at 7 p.m. Early voting has been underway for several weeks, but Election Day still holds a certain level of excitement. It marks the end of campaigns that have stretched for months. It also means a break from those relentless political ads on TV, robocalls from candidates and political bigwigs, and those mass mailings. Palatine residents will have the chance to decide whether to approve a referendum that would allow Community Consolidated School District 15 to issue $27 million in working cash bonds. There would be few …

Education will be Democrat Matt Flamm's top priority if elected 54th District State Representative Nov. 2. "The number one issue for me is public schools," Flamm said. "It's why my wife and I moved here, so our daughters could go to good public schools." Neither Flamm nor his Republican opponent Tom Morrison, ever have been elected to public office. Morrison defeated the 54th District incumbent, Suzie Bassi, in the Republican primary. The 54th District includes a large portion of Palatine, as well as sections of South Barrington, Inverness, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows and Arlington …

Tom Morrison knows that if he is elected 54 District state representative Nov. 2 he will have a tough job ahead. He knows he could very well be in the minority, unless Republicans are able to make big gains in the state Legislature. And he knows that it will be a challenge to get the state's budget, and its $13 billion deficit, under control. "What we face now, without sensible reforms, is a state that will become completely bankrupt and dysfunctional," Morrison said. Morrison, like his opponent, Democrat Matt Flamm, never has held elective office. He has served as a volunteer on campaigns …