New faces to join Mt. Prospect park board

The lone incumbent in the Mount Prospect Park District’s board of commissioners race appeared to have lost her seat in a close vote Tuesday night.

With all 36 precincts counted, Commissioner Julie Caporusso received 2,126 votes, according to unofficial totals. That put her last in the four-person race, with three seats open on the board. Newcomers Stephen Kurka (2,658 votes), Bill Starr (2,229 votes) and Raymond Massie (2,180 votes) were the winners.

Just 54 votes separated Massie from Caporusso, who was first elected to the board of commissioners in 2009. She said Tuesday night that she was proud of her time on the board.

“I congratulate the winners and wish them good luck in the coming term,” she said.

Tuesday’s election caps a season of change in the leadership of the Mount Prospect Park District. At the end of March, longtime park district CEO Walter Cook retired. He was replaced by Greg Kuhs, who was hired as the park district’s executive director. Kuhs previously worked as executive director of the Wood Dale Park District.

In addition, longtime commissioners John Eilering and Gary Grouwinkel declined to run again this year.