How will history judge Mulder?
If history is objective, the metamorphosis of Arlington Heights under the watch of Arlene Mulder as village president will be viewed mixed at best, (Editorial: “Consider what our mayors have done,” Nov. 28).
The list cited as the Editorial Board waxed nostalgic about the positive impact of Arlene Mulder could be read as what went wrong during her 20-year term as village president.
The Editors described the downtown as thriving and energetic. Realistically few of our neighbors would envy the high vacancy rate of storefronts and apartments, constant turnover of small businesses, a shuttered movie theater, or the annual money drain of the Metropolis Theatre on village finances.
The impressive municipal building is a constant reminder of excessive government spending, something I am surprised the Editorial Board would endorse. The train station, although ornate, was also excessive with no improvement to rail crossing safety. The village has a minor role in the sustenance of the Arlington Park racetrack.
The metamorphosis of Arlington Heights was and is still very expensive to the local taxpayer. This is because of tax breaks given through TIF districts and zoning changes to the developer crowd in the 1990s. The result is a structural high vacancy rate downtown even during good economic times.
In the upcoming local election voters must consider a candidate that will address the overbuilt condition in Arlington Heights from the 1990s. A structural vacancy rate was created and is now left behind by 20 years of Arlene Mulder’s economic policies.
Keith A. Moens
Arlington Heights