Park District commissioners Cathleen McDermott and Roy Sansone, the two incumbents up for re-election April 4, held off a strong challenge from newcomer Andrew Johnson.
With 1,673 votes cast, McDermott had a total of 1,066. Sansone had 875. Johnson was a close third with 831.
Voters could choose two of the three candidates for 6-year terms on the park district’s five-member policy-making board.
The spring election occurred just weeks before from the planned start of construction on the park district’s multimillion-dollar redevelopment at the old Roos site, Circle Avenue and Harrison Street. The Forest Park Village Council is set to vote on the district’s final plan April 10, with construction slated to begin a few weeks after.
Seeing the Roos redevelopment project through was a top campaign issue for McDermott and Sansone. Johnson, who called the current board “stale,” emphasized the need to improve social media and communication between the district and Forest Park residents.
