Gene Marks should never again run the Village of Northbrook. He is apparently too incompetent to follow the standard procedure to get his name on the ballot.

Since he didn’t file his paperwork on time, he’s trying to circumvent the process and force a special election in April that will cost taxpayers between $50,000 - $60,000.

That is in addition to the wasted taxpayer dollars spent in response to the frivolous case filed with the Northbrook Electoral Board by Marks’ daughter and a friend. They claimed Sandy Frum’s election petition was not properly notarized. Although the challenge was unanimously overruled, Northbrook taxpayers still paid attorney fees plus the cost of an independent third party to preside over the special sessions of the Electoral Board.

In addition, Lynn Ritz, one of his running mates, lives in unincorporated Cook County and is not eligible to sit on the Village Board. If Marks wins, he will get to appoint a replacement that was not elected by the citizens of Northbrook.

Is he too incompetent to select an eligible running mate or he is intentionally misleading the voters and manipulating the election process?

When he did run our Village government, Marks exhibited poor judgment. He allowed a developer to clear-cut the entire northwest corner of Dundee and Skokie Boulevard before the developer had secured proper and legal funding.

The Center for the North Shore went into default, leaving 14 acres barren. Now the developer is under federal indictment.

In contrast, Sandy Frum has been an amazing Village President. Under her leadership Northbrook is enjoying a budget surplus despite the country’s economic challenges over the past four years. During her tenure the underground sewer work on Techny Road was completed a year ahead of schedule. Since her election, Northbrook has had greater transparency in government.

We need to re-elect Sandy Frum as Northbrook’s Village Board President