Stark wins Batavia 4th Ward

Susan Stark is the new 4th Ward alderman on the Batavia City Council, winning the seat in Tuesday’s lone contested race.

Stark will replace Tom Schmitz, who did not seek re-election after serving 12 years on the council.

She received 49 percent of the 243 votes cast in the east side district, according to unofficial results from the Kane County clerk’s office.

Stark attributed her victory to getting out and about to meet the residents of the ward.

“I think they recognized I have experience in volunteerism and community government as well as small-business experience,” she said.

Her first order of business, she said, will be learning more about how the city council operates, including its committee system. And she’s been told by other elected officials that, as an alderman, she can now expect to spend about 10 to 12 hours a week reading materials to prepare for decisions. Ed Tousana received 20 percent of the vote and Jamie Saam received 28 percent.

In the other six wards, all candidates were unopposed. Re-elected were Garran Sparks in Ward 1, Alan Wolff in Ward 2 and Dan Chanzit in Ward 3, all four-year terms.

Janet Jungels won the other Ward 3 seat, filling the last two years of the late Linnea Miller’s term.

Louise “Lucy” Thelin-Atac in Ward 5, Lisa Clark in Ward 6 and David Brown in Ward 7 also won four-year terms.

Stark, a saleswoman, serves on the Historic Preservation Commission.

Schmitz was elected in 1999. He is the father of state Rep. Tim Schmitz.

Only 12 percent of the voters cast ballots.