Vogelsberg resigns as 3rd Ward alderman in Geneva
Dawn Vogelsberg resigned Tuesday as a Geneva alderman after nearly 10 years in office.
Vogelsberg told the city council she wanted to let “someone who has the time and energy to represent it (the 3rd Ward) well. I’m stretched a little too thin.”
Vogelsberg was appointed to the council in 2004. Her term ends in 2017.
She joked about not having cooked dinner for her family for 10 years on Monday nights (the council’s normal meeting night) “ ... or Tuesdays or Wednesdays ...”
Vogelsberg volunteers as executive director of the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which raises money for research into Parkinson’s disease. She started a full-time job in April as administrative assistant for the Kane County state’s attorney’s office. She is married, and has three school-age children.
Between the job, the volunteer work and taking care of her family, her attendance at council started to slip, she said. “I can do it all, but I can’t do it all well,” she said Wednesday.
She remembered waiting for an opening to serve on the council, and said she believes “there is probably somebody waiting” for an opportunity to serve.
Asked to recall a vote she is particularly proud of, Vogelsberg went back to a November 2005 vote against using eminent domain power to take land to build a grocery store on the northeast corner of State Street and East Side Drive.
“We got an Aldi (at that corner, later), which was even better. It worked out. You have to stick to your values,” Vogelsberg said.
First Ward Alderman Chuck Brown, the senior official on the council, told her Tuesday she taught the council new ways to serve the city. “It’s been fun serving with you,” he said.
Fifth Ward Alderman Craig Maladra said that while he and Vogelsberg often disagreed on matters, he respected her willingness to listen to other views, and to remain civil in debate. “I think you were the best partner I’ve had on the city council,” he said.
Vogelsberg was appointed to the council in 2004, and ran unopposed in 2005, 2009 and 2013.
Before she was an alderman, Vogelsberg was on the plan commission, and led committees to encourage voters to approve building a new east side fire station and an expansion of the police station.
In 2010, Vogelsberg received the Kane County Sheriff’s Department Roscoe Ebey citizenship award.
Mayor Kevin Burns will appoint a replacement alderman, with the consent of the city council.
That person will serve through April 2015. Then an election will be held to fill the remaining two years of Vogelsberg’s term. Letters of application must be postmarked by Feb. 3 and should be sent to Burns at City Hall, 22 S. First St., Geneva, IL 60134. Write “3rd Ward Alderman” on the front of the envelope. Besides being at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen, applicants must have lived in the ward for at least one year, be a registered voter, not have any felony convictions and be current on all taxes and payments to the city. Burns has 60 days to announce an appointment, but indicated he will do so by the end of February, according to a news release.