Joey Johnston appointed to Township board

[Ted]

Joey Johnston has been appointed to fill the vacancy on the Berwyn Township Trustee board to replace Elizabeth JImenez, who elected to not take the oath of office when she was told she could lose her school board seat if she took the oath of office. There were two nominees for the vacancy - Brenda Patterson of the DCOB and Joey Johnston of the Berwyn United organization. The vote was a 2-2 tie, with Elizabeth Pechous casting one of the votes and the other elected trustees casting the other votes. The votes went along party lines, with the two DCOB officials voting for Patterson and the two Berwyn United officials voting for Johnston. Township Clerk Marge Paull cast the tie breaking vote in favor of Johnston.

  FYI, both Johnston and Patterson ran in the Democratic primary for the township board and lost.

  That will make Joey Johnston the 8th openly gay resident of Berwyn to take the oath of office this May due to the April elections.

[markberwyn]

It's odd that people talk about how meaningless this elected position is, and yet it seems to be very competitive. I wonder what's so worth competing for that Ms. Jimenez was bullied out of the job.

[Ted]

  Members of the DCOB are screaming bloody murder over this because Brenda Patterson received more votes in the primary than Joey Johnston, even though both lost.

  These DCOB supporters are saying Patterson should have been appointed.

  Others (including myself) point out that one Berwyn United person was replaced by another BU person.

  Some DCOB supporters on Facebook have even suggested that there was no threat to Elizabeth Jimenez seat on the school board and that this was all a ruse "orchestrated" by the Berwyn United organization. 

[Ted]

It's odd that people talk about how meaningless this elected position is, and yet it seems to be very competitive. I wonder what's so worth competing for that Ms. Jimenez was bullied out of the job.

  It does make one wonder why some people feel so threatened by her.  First they tried to get her kicked off the ballot in the school board race in 2015 and failed.  She was the leading vote getter in that race.

  Then, she is threatened with a lawsuit if she takes a seat on the township board.  Again, she was the leading vote getter in the township race.

[Bonster]

It's odd that people talk about how meaningless this elected position is, and yet it seems to be very competitive. I wonder what's so worth competing for that Ms. Jimenez was bullied out of the job.

Politicians certainly do not believe it's meaningless! 

As Ted stated, one side played hard ball and the other side played hard ball back.

[markberwyn]

All the more reason to believe this has to do with Ms. Jimenez specifically, and what she represents in general. She speaks out a lot about diversity and immigrant rights. Regardless of how progressive and not-racist-y Berwyn might be, there are no doubt people who dislike her for who she is and what she stands for.

[Bonster]

All the more reason to believe this has to do with Ms. Jimenez specifically, and what she represents in general.

I disagree.  I think it's more a numbers game.

[markberwyn]

Ah, yes, very good point, in Berwyn you can't forget the importance of <stops, turns, looks directly into the camera> the numbers game.

[OakParkSpartan]

I think it is about visibility into the operations of the Township.  For years it has gone on with no one paying attention.

[markberwyn]

That'd explain the how of what happened, but not the why. Why was Ms. Jimenez singled out for this brand of political shenaniganizing?

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Ah, yes, very good point, in Berwyn you can't forget the importance of <stops, turns, looks directly into the camera> the numbers game.

You only bring up what you want to debate.  I'm beginning to thing Berwyn has lost its appeal for you.  What a shame!!

[markberwyn]

I'm not sure why I would want to debate things I'm not interested in debating. In any event, I was just making fun of Bonster for delivering a hollow sports metaphor as if it were a substantive statement about something. Perhaps if Berwyn swings for the fences and doesn't spike the football, its future will hit nothing but net!

[Bonster]

In any event, I was just making fun of Bonster for delivering a hollow sports metaphor as if it were a substantive statement about something.

What sports metaphor?

[markberwyn]

"one side played hard ball and the other side played hard ball back."

[Bonster]

Oh Jesus... I filched that from Ted's post.

thanks, Ted!