Hettermann wins J’burg presidency

Ed Hettermann (right) and Bob Hutchinson of Johnsburg watch as results are posted Tuesday for Johnsburg village president at Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg. Hettermann, a longtime trustee became the Johnsburg village president-elect. (Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@nwherald.com)

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JOHNSBURG – Longtime trustee Ed Hettermann defeated Lorrie Filippone by 164 votes in the heated race for Johnsburg village president.

John Huemann and Harold May were re-elected in the eight-way contest for three village trustee positions. Incumbent Bill Sandell was defeated and will be replaced by board newcomer Ron Zanko, who received 628 votes.

A record 10 candidates ran for office in the election, fueled by the controversy over a proposed sewer project.

“This has been a really tight race, ... [but] it’ll make Johnsburg a better town,” Hettermann said. “Everybody worked their hardest and fought for their positions. It’ll be better because of this.”

According to unofficial vote totals, with all 12 precincts reporting, Hettermann received 834 votes. Filippone received 670.

As a trustee, Hettermann supported funding a $10 million sewer project through a special service area, or SSA, in 2007. Residents living within SSAs pay more on their property taxes for a period of years to fund the project. Before the election, Hettermann pledged not to move forward with the project unless alternative funding was secured.

Filippone has been a vocal opponent of the SSA. She has assisted a group of residents in suing the village over the project, claiming that the SSA did not have enough support from residents to be implemented.

Filippone declined to comment Tuesday night before absentee votes were counted and could not be reached for comment after.

Both Huemann and May supported the sewer project and the SSA as trustees. Zanko has worked with Filippone to halt the project’s funding mechanism, and is among residents suing the village over the project.

Huemann said the four incumbents who ran were mindful of the divide between pro and anti-SSA candidates.

“We worked really hard not only in the area with the SSA boundaries, but also the area outside the SSA,” Huemann said.

Hettermann said his first job would be to make the divide a thing of the past.