Soto stepping down as Bensenville village president

Bensenville Village President Frank Soto is resigning to take a state job as an arbitrator with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission.

His last day in office will be Thursday, roughly four months before his second term was scheduled to expire.

Soto said Tuesday he was "seriously considering not running again" when Gov. Bruce Rauner announced last month that he was appointing Soto to become an arbitrator.

Soto, who is a lawyer, has worked with multiple firms and law practices that oversee workers' compensation litigation. But he can't be an arbitrator while holding an elected position.

"After two terms, I was thinking it was time to step down and go to that next chapter," he said.

In a letter dated Monday, Soto told village trustees his decision wasn't easy.

"Nearly eight years ago, the people of this community placed their trust in me to serve the village and its residents," Soto wrote. "I have dedicated myself to making it a better village than it was before, with safer neighborhoods, quality schools and a strong tax base. Our residents deserve nothing less."

Soto, 51, first was elected village president in 2009 when he unseated 24-year incumbent John Geils. He was elected to a second term in 2013 in a three-way race that also featured one-time political ally Oronzo Peconio and park board member Rich Johnson.

Soto said Bensenville has come a long way since he first took office.

"I am proud to have worked with the board of trustees and this community during my tenure in office and believe much has been accomplished in that time," Soto said in his letter.

When he came to office, Soto said the village faced an $8 million deficit, had no infrastructure improvements on the horizon, and held the top spot in a Forbes magazine ranking of "America's Fastest-Dying Towns."

Bensenville has since improved its bond rating, passed balanced budgets each year, increased sales tax revenue and made investments in infrastructure, he said.

Village officials also addressed the loss of hundreds of homes and more than 100 businesses caused by the expansion of O'Hare International Airport.

"Despite the obstacles we faced after O'Hare expansion, we have recovered and new businesses have opened locations here," Soto said. "We worked to significantly improve our industrial park and the vacancy rate has steadily declined."

Instead of fighting with O'Hare, Bensenville negotiated with airport officials to establish a flight rotation plan so planes aren't flying over the village every night, officials said.

"It's really starting to turn around," Soto said. "I think we're strategically positioned for great success in the future."

In order to have a smooth transition, Soto said Trustee Martin O'Connell will serve as village president pro-tem until the April election. He said O'Connell is perfect for the role because he isn't seeking re-election.

"This way there's no politics involved with it," Soto said.