Endorsement: Kaplan for Cary village president

In the absence of an incumbent, the race for village president in Cary features two men with two years of experience as trustee. Mark Kownick was appointed to the board in 2009 and served two years before losing in 2011 in the race for a 2-year seat. Bruce Kaplan was elected in 2011 to a 4-year term — along with his slate — which campaigned hard on the notion that the village board needs to be more welcoming to business and also be more transparent to its residents. Mayor Tom Kierna has decided not to seek re-election. We endorsed both Kaplan and Kownick two years ago for village board. Forced to choose between them, we prefer Kaplan for president. The commercial real estate broker prides himself on shining a light in the dark corners of village government, aggressively pursuing economic development and not spending money unnecessarily. Kownick worries that Kaplan, as a leading broker in town, would have difficulty keeping his official life and work life separate, and our support of Kaplan is contingent on his assurance that he can do just that. He is endorsed.