Endorsements: Beaudoin, Halen, Weider for Lake Zurich trustee
The Lake Zurich village board race features a little palace intrigue for voters to consider as they choose from four candidates to fill three, trustee seats.
Three candidates are incumbents, but only two are members of the Lake Zurich Proud slate led by incumbent Village President Thomas Poynton, who is seeking re-election.
The trustee candidates on the slate are incumbents Jim Beaudoin and Greg Weider and newcomer Mary Beth Euker. Incumbent Trustee Jeff Halen, who has been on the board since 2009, is running as an independent.
The lineup is not surprising, given that Halen, 48, who works in marketing and product management, has developed a reputation for often challenging the majority position.
All four candidates are thoughtful and involved in the community and pledge to hold the line on taxes and keep expenses under control. However, we see no reason to make changes on a village board that has worked well together to forge improvements in several important areas. Beaudoin, Halen and Weider are endorsed for the four-year terms.
Among the gains of the past four years, the current board has revamped and expanded how the village communicates with residents, improved finances to earn a AAA bond rating, created a multiyear strategic plan and updated a downtown development plan.
Beaudoin, 43, a business executive, stresses the need to continue to search for resources to invest in infrastructure, such as emerald ash borer tree replacement, and making repairs and improvements to roads and aging water and sewer lines. He cited continued use of grants and consortiums and prioritizing to address needs.
Weider, 50, the executive director of a nonprofit group who was appointed to the board in 2016, sees a need for the village to provide more civic service opportunities for residents. Educating residents about the workings of government and providing volunteerism to help meet community needs would be his top goals.
Halen wants to push for even more gains in trimming expenses to save money and free up funds for infrastructure needs, outsourcing and communication. He also questions the village's development vision and plans to recommend the village hire a full-time economic development director to drive new business and help current businesses succeed. Halen provides an important check and balance on the board.
Euker, 57, is an attorney with extensive contacts in the village from her years of involvement, including creating an affordable not-for-profit children theater company. While her work has been impressive, it's not enough to warrant changing the board makeup at this time.