Political newcomer tapped for W. Dundee mayor
Voters have tapped Christopher Nelson, a newcomer to politics, to lead West Dundee into the future as village president.
With all precincts reporting Nelson had 434 votes while Andy Yuscka, a trustee on the village board for 14 years, had 295, according to unofficial tallies.
Nelson, 41, who works as a manager of government and regulatory affairs for Comcast, started campaigning in November, a move he said gave him a jump start in this election.
“I think visiting households on every street made a tremendous difference,” Nelson said, adding that he’s been campaigning since November. “I tried to meet as many people as I could.”
Yuscka, 61, could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
In the trustee races, voters returned Patrick Hanley to a fourth term in office with 540 votes. Daniel Wilbrandt and William Pflanz also won seats, with 628 votes and 392 votes respectively, according to unofficial results.
“I’m definitely excited about getting to work and to start tackling some of these tough issues,” Wilbrandt said, adding that they include cutting waste where he can and maintaining village services.
Darren Parochelli earned 270 votes, according to unofficial totals, not enough to earn him a seat on the board.
Parochelli, who unsuccessfully ran for the Kane County Board last year, said he doesn’t know why he didn’t win a trustee seat in West Dundee.
“It is what it is.” Parochelli said, adding that he’s not ruling out another run for office.“The voters take care of that. It’s basically out of my hands once it gets to the voter.”
West Dundee Village President Larry Keller chose to not run for office, leaving no incumbent to face Yuscka and Nelson.
Nelson favors an aggressive approach when it comes to attracting development. He wants to promote West Dundee’s lower tax rate as compared to Cook County’s in hopes of luring businesses to the village, partner with Spring Hill Mall to attract new stores, and market the village’s downtown as a place that would be perfect for unique businesses.
Hanley, 54, a teacher, would like to help develop a comprehensive plan that focuses on the downtown, Spring Hill Mall and Randall Road, that can be passed down to future boards. He is seeking his fourth term in office.
Wilbrandt, 28, an attorney, says West Dundee should do everything in its power to be more fiscally responsible.
Pflanz, 25, a pharmacy technician, wants the village to work harder at developing Randall Road to attract more business and to increase its revenue.