BACK MATT RAPID REPLY:

COMMENT FROM A LOCAL READER

REGARDING THE FACTS IN THE BEACON NEWS ARTICLE
ON 1/18/2011

To: Ms. Stephanie Lulay, Report for the Beacon News.

Fr: Beaconbitsreader:

Ms. Lulay, recently I have been reading Mr. Andres Salles' and your
reports on the upcoming Aurora alderman election in April. I find your
reporting that Mr. Matt Harrington "was booted from the April ballot" to
be inaccurate. Your statement on 01/18/11 today is false, and it contradicts
what you had written 2 days ago. In your 01/16/11 article, you stated that
Mr. Matt Harrington "didn't meet the residency requirements for the
February primary", but "the ruling did not apply to the April election..."
for the alderman at large election in Aurora. The truth is Mr. Matt
Harrington fully meets the residency requirement for both the February
primary (if one was held) and, definitely, the April election. He had the
proper documents as proofs, but they were thrown out by Election
Commission. Please check the facts. Because Mr. Matt Harrington is so
passionate about Aurora and serving her people, he is working his hardest
in his campaign. His hard working ethics and relentless determination are
something that I admire. I hope he wins and becomes our alderman - At
Large or the 9th ward's.
Five apply to become 9th Ward alderman
By Stephanie lulay slulay@stmedianetwork.com Jan 18, 2011 2:35AM
AURORA — Five residents have applied to be the second-ever 9th Ward alderman.
Edward Bugg, Matt Harrington, Allan Lewandowski, Daryle Moore and Michael Ochs
have all applied for the position, left open by the resignation of Alderman Leroy Keith,
according to city spokesman Kevin Stahr. The new alderman will serve on the council
until the April 2013 general election.
Keith, who had been the 9th Ward alderman since the far East Side ward was created in
2003, resigned from the council last month, pending a move to Georgia.
In addition to seeking the 9th Ward position, Harrington also is campaigning for
alderman at large. He was booted from the April ballot after the Aurora Election
Commission upheld challenges to his petitions because of a residency issue. Now he is
running as a write-in candidate.
Ochs previously filed to run for alderman against Keith in 2008, but was dropped from
the ballot when the Election Commission ruled that 119 of the signatures on his candidate
petitions were not valid.
Keith’s resignation came less than two weeks after a deadline that would have allowed
voters to elect an alderman to fill out the term, rather than having the mayor make an
appointment, with approval of the council.
Mayor Tom Weisner hopes to bring a nominee before City Council by February, Stahr
said.