Carpentersville mayor hopefuls talk business attraction, retention

Though Village President Ed Ritter says Carpentersville has been making significant progress in areas of economic development and business recruitment, challenger John Skillman believes the village is in need of fresh ideas and new leadership.

Ritter, 68, a two-term incumbent, and Skillman, 54, a retired fire chief, will face off for the top seat in the April 4 election.

There are two factors to which Ritter largely attributes the village's recent growth in economic interest from outside investors: The completion and opening of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter off Route 25, and the hiring of economic development director Patrick Burke.

Developers began competing for Wal-Mart outlots, he said. The Besinger family, which owns and manages several properties throughout the village, are putting a few of their large sites up for sale. Investors have expressed interest in building large commercial and residential developments in the area, he said, and the village has been exploring other potential business opportunities, such as a car dealership and a call center.

"We have a lot of plans for future development," Ritter said. "There's just been so much progress that I don't want to see it stop."

Understanding a need to broaden Carpentersville's tax base, Skillman said he believes the village should focus its efforts on bringing in small businesses and family restaurants that could fill vacant buildings and shopping centers. Lowering the village's 9 percent sales tax rate, he added, would help businesses compete with those in other municipalities.

Skillman also said the village needs to improve its relationships and communication with existing businesses, though Ritter said Burke has already been meeting with various business owners since he was hired.

"We need to celebrate what we have," Skillman said. "I want to do that, and I want to make sure we do that as a village."

Carpentersville recently authorized a $50,000 one-year contract with Retail Strategies, an Alabama firm, to help recruit businesses and promote sites available for redevelopment throughout the village. Through that deal, the company will attend trade shows and help to find companies that would be suitable for the village and its demographics, Ritter said.

Skillman, however, said he believes the village could use its existing internal resources for such tasks, rather than hiring outside firms.

Both candidates said the community development department, led by director Marc Huber, has come a long way over the past few years. It now operates under the slogan, "Get to yes!"

"We've done a good job overall," Skillman said, "but people want a change."