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Przybylo, Alpogianis team up for 2013 Niles race
Niles Trustee Andrew Andrew Przybylo. | Dan Luedert~Sun-Times Media
Updated: January 7, 2013 1:43AM
NILES — Village of Niles Trustee Andrew Przybylo and business owner George Alpogianis are working together to form a slate for the April election, which involves Przybylo running for mayor.
Alpogianis, the owner of Kappy’s Restaurant in Morton Grove, and Przybylo will be looking for two other candidates to join their slate.
Przybylo said they would like to create a rotational position of “vice mayor,” which would be filled by the village trustees. For example, if there’s a ribbon cutting and the mayor couldn’t attend, the “vice mayor” would go in his/her place instead of the village manager or someone else.
“I think that would go along way for legitimizing the office of trustee and also of the mayor,” said Przybylo. He added: “What I’m trying to get rid of is the arguing at the council.”
Przybylo would also like to create six standing committees of elected officials. These could include areas such as safety, community development and family services.
In addition Przybylo feels department heads should be held to a standard and raises should be given based on performance.
In 2009 Alpogianis won a spot on the Niles Village Board of Trustees, but he had to step down due to felony charges he received when he was a teenager. However, Gov. Pat Quinn in July granted him a full pardon of the crimes, making it possible for him to run for an elected position.
“My heart has always been in it,” Alpogianis said about becoming a village trustee.
Alpogianis believes some of the trustees on the board have demonstrated a “major loss of focus” and there needs to be new blood on the board.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing right now,” said Alpogianis.
Alpogianis said he and Przybylo would like at least one of the other candidates on their slate to be a woman.
“Women should be represented,” said Alpogianis.
Przybylo was almost not allowed to run for mayor because the mayor serves as village liquor commissioner and Przybylo holds a liquor license in the village as the owner of the White Eagle banquet hall.
However, Quinn has since signed a law allowing village trustees to appoint a replacement liquor commissioner to avoid any conflict.
