Polit to seek four more years on Mt. Prospect board

Mount Prospect Trustee Steven Polit will run for re-election in April, saying he finds the post both “challenging and very rewarding.”

“I genuinely enjoy the job,” Polit said Wednesday. “I enjoy working with our staff and teaching people about government.”

Polit was appointed to the village board in 2008 to fill a vacancy. He retained the seat in the 2009 election.

His tenure on the board has coincided roughly with the onset of the recession and the ensuing slow recovery. He said he’s proud of how Mount Prospect has come through a difficult time.

“We still have a good reputation for delivering quality services to our residents,” he said. “And positive things have happened in major commercial spots like Randhurst Village.”

Still, Polit cites tight revenue as a key challenge facing the village in the future. He said the village should fight burdensome unfunded mandates that come down from the state and federal governments.

“It seems like we’re the only ones who have to work with a balanced budget,” he said.

Polit added that he would like to do more to market the Kensington Business Center and to resolve existing flooding/stormwater management concerns.

Mount Prospect voters will choose a mayor and three trustees in April. Mayor Irvana Wilks has announced she will not run for another term, and Trustee Arlene Juracek — who is in the middle of her term on the board — has said she will seek the mayor’s post.

Other trustees whose seats are up are Mike Zadel and John Matuszak. Zadel said Wednesday he hasn’t decided yet whether to run. Matuszak couldn’t be reached Wednesday afternoon.

Anyone interested in running for municipal office can start circulating nomination petitions on Sept. 25. Information about the petition process is available at mountprospect.org.