Library president to run for Geneva city council

Geneva Library board president Esther Barclay has decided to serve her city one building over.

She announced her candidacy for 1st Ward alderman Wednesday.

She seeks the spot presently held by Charles Brown, whose term expires April 30, 2011. In a prepared statement, Barclay said she is running anticipating that Brown will retire from the council, and that if he doesn't, she will withdraw her candidacy and support him.

Barclay has been on the library board for seven years, during which time the board hired a new library director, pursued an annexation lawsuit against the Batavia library and district, and remodeled portions of the building at 127 W. James while making plans to possibly purchase a new site.

She served on the Geneva Strategic Plan Advisory Committee from 1999 to 2003.

Barclay has lived in Geneva since 1972, and graduated from Geneva High School in 1979. She studied business administration at Northern Illinois University, and works for United Parcel Services.

She is the mother of three: Christopher, 27; Geoffrey, 25; and Kaitlin, 23.

Barclay is the former wife of ex-2nd Ward Alderman William Barclay. He was alderman from 2001 until April 2009. They divorced in 2009.

The election is April 5. The state board of elections has not set the dates when official election nomination petitions can be circulated and filed, but in past elections it has been in late October.

Brown could not be reached for comment.