Endorsements: Grossi, Hatzis, Zadel for Mount Prospect village board
When the filing period for the April 4 election ended last December, Mount Prospect found itself with only two candidates for the three open seats on the village board, incumbent Michael Zadel and newcomer Bill Grossi.
However, when residents noticed that there weren't enough candidates, three civic-minded people stepped forward - longtime former trustee and local barber A. John Korn, retired Federal Reserve employee Walter J. Szymczak and local business owner Eleni Hatzis.
In a joint interview with the editorial board, the five candidates all showed the knowledge, temperament, motivation and civic interest to be excellent board members. While differing in some particulars, all were in broad agreement on the issues facing the village and the approaches to addressing them.
Zadel, 70, running for his fifth term, has the benefits of history and experience with the job and shows no flagging of interest. Having spent 40 years in the field of public works, he can help guide the village through the coming challenge of dealing with an inadequate police headquarters in a cost-efficient way. He's open to repurposing the existing building, buying or building, depending on the outcome of a study currently under way, and says he will challenge staff to justify its recommendations. And as the village faces possible cuts in funding due to the state's financial issues, he has the experience of having been on the board during the Great Recession, a time when the village had to make significant budget and personnel cuts.
Despite being a newcomer, Grossi, 63, an attorney, shows detailed knowledge of the issues related to village finance, pensions, public safety and the downtown. While supportive of the new downtown tax-increment financing district the village recently adopted to spur economic growth, he is clear-eyed about the challenges in getting people to spend time there and recognizes the greater financial importance to the village of the Randhurst area, which he called the "biggest boon to the community" because of its sales tax revenue. He believes if the village could attract a college extension to locate near the train station, it would bring people in to the downtown. And the village may have to look at more apartments in the TIF and less retail.
Among the write-ins, while Korn clearly seems the most knowledgeable, Hatzis, 39, co-owner of Posh Tots, mother of three young children and a graduate of Prospect High School, brings the view of a local businesswoman and someone almost a quarter-century younger than the other candidates to the board. She supports the new TIF district and would like to see more family-friendly businesses downtown that would draw people to get off the train. Her view is an interesting counterpoint to Grossi's and both need to be heard. Hatzis also is concerned about lowering crime and maintaining the character of the village in south Mount Prospect, where income is lower and the number of recent immigrants higher. If the village relocates the police station, she would like that area to be in contention.
The Daily Herald endorses Zadel, Grossi and write-in candidate Hatzis.