News on Virgil Development

Daily Herald
February 1, 2005

Campaigns for top jobs focus on growth issues

By Lisa Balde and Christine Byers Daily Herald Staff Writers

Growth. Growth. Growth.

It's the talk of the town, from village hall to school boards, in stores and on soccer fields.

Dump trucks and bulldozers, zoning and development. Taxes and crowded schools.

Growth. Growth. Growth.

New homes. New stoplights. New stores. New roads.

How about growth in the field of politics, with new candidates calling for a new direction?

You've got it. Eight Fox Valley towns now boast 19 candidates vying for the top job, all with an eye on the future and a hand on their wallets.

A possible 20th candidate, William Swalwell, has to decide in the next week whether he wants to run for Hampshire's top post or a village board seat.

"Growth is an issue that all municipalities in this area have to deal with," said Trustee Tom Wajda, who is running for Gilberts village president. "This is the next area that seems to be up for development."

Growth, of course, comes at a price, and Wajda's challenger, plan commission Chairman Tony Loden, said current residents should not have to pay to pave the way for new residents.

"Existing residents should not be burdened by new development," Loden said. "Developers should pay their fair share of expenses."

Determining that fair share is part of a difficult balancing act.

"Growth is going to be good for Hampshire, if it's done sensibly," said village president candidate Jeff Magnussen.

Finding the sensible path will be difficult but mandatory, said five-term Mayor William Schmidt, who's running again.

"It's an inevitability," Schmidt said. "We have to adapt to changing times."

One constant for candidates is the reluctance to tax.

"If you allow excessive growth and can't keep up with that," warned Algonquin's acting Village President John Schmitt, "you have to tax people."

Instead, candidates prefer to look elsewhere.

"We straddle the borders of Kane and McHenry counties," said Algonquin Trustee Jim Steigert. "It's ... crucial we establish strong relationships with our representatives in both counties."

The press to find alternatives may be cultivating greater political interest, said Trustee John Spella, who rounds out the field in Algonquin.

"McHenry and Kane counties are growing at such a rapid rate," Spella said. "That's probably part of the issue, what different people think they can bring to the table that current village presidents aren't or might not be doing."

Even where growth runs at a slower pace, the winds of change still blow.

Carpentersville still struggles with adapting to new subdivisions.

"We are not looking at this village as a community," said village president candidate Bill Sarto. "It's turning into a bunch of subdivisions."

Money, though, is never far from the discussion.

After years of jumbled finances and poor audits, the village needs to get organized, said candidate Paul Humpfer, appointed to the village board last year. "I can fix these financial weaknesses without spending any money."

One source of revenue for towns with rampant growth, or those filling their final few acres, is commercial property.

West Dundee faces a challenge in staking its commercial claim on Randall Road.

"We want to make sure the commercial space within the community stays viable," said Village President Larry Keller, who is running for re-election.

As Randall Road gets more populated, West Dundee wants to keep Spring Hill Mall and other commercial prospects competitive, Keller said.

Thus, said his challenger, Trustee Sue Berna, the decisions of the next four years are decisions that will affect West Dundee forever.

"We are not just one village," Berna said. "Any decisions we make have an effect on every other municipality around us."

Some people think, however, the motivation to run for top office may be more provincial.

Maybe it's the title, said East Dundee Village President Roger Ahrens, who is seeking re-election.

"A lot of people consider it a prestigious position," Ahrens said. "I would say for the majority that's what it is, or they feel the current mayor is not doing what they would do and they want to do it different."

That accurately describes his challenger, Trustee Jerald Bartels, who believes Ahrens has done a good job but leaves room for improvement when it comes to communication.

"I believe that together we're greater than the sum of our parts," Bartels said, "and the feeling I have now is we're just a bunch of parts."

Growth can create challenges, but success in handling it sure makes for smooth campaign themes.

"In terms of Lake in the Hills, everything has been operating so smoothly for the last four years that people want to be a part of that," said Ed Plaza, incumbent village president.

One of his challengers is actually a product of area growth.

Kris Ranallo has called Lake in the Hills home for only four years, and she said that's an edge.

"I can come in with fresher ideas," Ranallo said.

Fresh ideas are good, said the town's third challenger, Trustee Joe Murawski. But action is needed.

There are options for improving infrastructure, parks and transportation, "but what are we doing about it?" he said.

Making tough choices won't be hard for the trio seeking the top job in Fox River Grove - but it might be for voters.

The three hopefuls boast a minimum of four years of experience in local government.

"The next four years really are crucial," Trustee Mary Lu Seidel said, adding that revamping the area around the Metra station will be the new village president's biggest job.

"I think that I have the pulse of the community and understand what they're looking for," Trustee Michael Ireland said.

Katherine Laube learned her civics lessons on Fox River Grove Elementary District 3's school board and on the village's zoning board of appeals.

"I have a lot of experience working with the board, with the village attorney, with the village manager, the clerk," she said.

With thousands of new homes soon to be built, and tens of thousands of new residents on the way, the next generation of Fox Valley village presidents and mayors likely will have to grow into the job.

• Daily Herald staff writer Patrick Garmoe contributed to this report.