Hanover Park extends Springfield lobbyist's contract

After a monthslong debate about the value of hiring a Springfield lobbyist, Hanover Park trustees, in the end, choose to stick with the firm Mayor Rodney Craig has defended against a vocal minority on the board.

In a 5-1 vote, the board extended the contract with Roger C. Marquardt & Co. for a year through December 2015. Trustee Jenni Konstanzer opposed the agreement.

The firm first wanted to charge the village a total of $30,000, but village officials were able to negotiate with the lobbyist to keep the rate — up to $2,000 a month — at what the lobbyist received under a previous pact. Village Manager Juliana Maller assured the board Marquardt would deliver the same services.

In May, the board decided against rehiring Marquardt until the village formally studied whether other firms offered better prices and resumes. But before conducting the search, Trustee Jon Kunkel switched positions and voted in favor of a new, 8-month contract with Marquardt. The turnaround allowed the board to narrowly approve the contract in June over the opposition of Trustees Bill Cannon, Ed Zimel and Konstanzer.

Still, the village sent a request for proposals to 16 agencies, eight of which responded. Marquardt was one of three front-runners. The firm also helped secure a $500,000 state grant, announced in November, to pay for upgrades at youth athletic fields along Barrington Road. While much of what the lobbyist does involves building relationships with state lawmakers, the funding, Craig said, showed that the village expense yields tangible benefits.

“He's really a good representative for what the needs of our community are,” Craig said of Marquardt.

The other two favorites — Nicolay & Dart LLC and Raucci & Sullivan Strategies LLC — are based out of Chicago, while Marquardt is based in DuPage County.

“What we need is the local guy that really understands Hanover Park,” said Craig, adding that the firm is well-respected on both sides of the aisle.

Cannon said the firm “isn't the worst” out of the other candidates reviewed by the board.

“I don't like it because I think it's an expensive, added step in getting a voice down in Springfield when we, first of all, we have the ability of any of us to go down there and lobby for Hanover Park,” he said. “We have state representatives. We have senators. They're supposed to be down there being a voice for us.”