Government-finances critic to run for Geneva mayor

Bob McQuillan, co-founder of the Geneva TaxFACTS organization, is running for Geneva mayor.

“The economic times are calling for a different kind of leader,” McQuillan said of why he is running.

He would face incumbent Mayor Kevin Burns, the only other declared candidate for the office.

Candidates must file petitions Dec. 17 to 26 for the April ballot.

McQuillan, 56, is a regional sales manager for Dialogue Co.

In 2008, he helped start Geneva TaxFACTS, or For Accountable Controlled Tax Spending. The group is probably best known for its questioning of the financial practices of the Geneva school district. McQuillan is a fixture at school board meetings, often speaking. He has also spoken at Geneva City Council meetings.

McQuillan said he “has learned a lot” about government in the last four years of examining the school district’s finances, and that since he “thinks the school board is headed in the right direction,” he wants to turn to city business.

McQuillan has run twice for office. In 2010, he sought the Republican nomination for representative in the state 50th District. It was a three-way race, and incumbent Rep. Kay Hatcher won.

He also ran for the Geneva school board in 2005.

In 2011, he was one of 40 people who applied to be appointed as Kane County’s representative on the Metra board.

In December 2011, he applied to file a vacant Geneva 2nd Ward seat, when Alderman Bob Piper moved out of the ward. Burns picked Don Cummings for the post. McQuillan then criticized Burns, saying the mayor hadn’t even interviewed him.

In March 2012, McQuillan said Burns “has done a great job as the city’s mayor.” The comment came after McQuillan urged the Geneva City Council to make public an investigation into whether Burns had improperly used city resources for his Republican primary campaign for county board chairman.