Ousted mayor had many accomplishments

It was a roller coaster of emotions during election night. I had vested interest considering my dad is Fox Lake Mayor Ed Bender.

Initially, I was optimistic. Optimism slowly turned to frustration/disappointment. He spent countless hours in meetings, breakfasts, etc. To see it not be validated was frustrating.

But, emotions gave way to appreciation. His tenure as mayor/trustee has many accomplishments. Some include ... the Lakefront Park, new police station and village hall which display a level of professionalism. Another success was turning the budget from a deficit into a surplus.

He put in more sidewalks, streetlights, a new 911 center, Venetian Night and I’m sure there are more.

Adversaries may not like his vision, but they cannot deny his leadership/dedication.

I feel disappointed for many, but not my dad. Disappointed for the people that worked with him, also the visitors that will not be able to enjoy the Fox Lake experience because there is no place to stay for the night.

Disappointed for losing many dollars of sales tax that a hotel/other business would generate to help our roads, schools, etc, Disappointed for the businesses that will not benefit from people coming into town to enjoy their establishments, Disappointed for weddings/ceremonies that will not happen at the new hotel.

Disappointed for the adversaries that came by on election night. That was truly classless/pathetic.

Lastly, I’m disappointed for all the time/effort that he put in without the final results. I want to thank you, Dad, for all you have done. You are a tireless worker/leader. No wonder why you were VP at one of the largest companies.

We have met many great people. Opportunity may only knock once. I hope it knocks again for Fox Lake. Great job, Dad.

Dan Bender

Fox Lake