Two trustees running for Roselle village president

Two sitting Roselle trustees are vying for the village's top elected post to replace retiring Village President Gayle Smolinski, who is stepping down after 24 years.

Wayne Domke has served on the village board for six years and Andrew "Andy" Maglio has served for eight years.

Both men say they have had their eyes on the president's seat but never would have run against Smolinski.

"When she announced she was going to retire, it felt like the right time for me, personally, to step up," Domke said. "I have a propensity to listen to people and listen to both sides of the issue. I'm a unifier."

Maglio, having been with Smolinski for most of her tenure, either as a planning and zoning commissioner or trustee, said he intends to follow in her footsteps.

"I'm a firm believer in being very frugal and making do with what we can without impacting any of the services to our residents," Maglio said.

One of the few issues that set the men apart is the time they believe should be dedicated to the position.

Domke, who recently retired, has pledged to serve as a full-time mayor, dedicating at least 40 hours a week to the position.

"I'm living the dream life right now, helping residents," Domke said. "I've got a lot of energy and I want to give it away to our residents."

Maglio, who owns a small business in town, said he is comfortable with his knowledge of the village's inner-workings and has no plans to micromanage staff.

"I'm secure in my knowledge of the history of where we've come from and what we have been doing. So I don't think it is a full-time, 40-hour-a-week position," Maglio said. "We have great staff and they are operating very well right now."

Regardless who gets elected, both men say they plan to continue on the path of recently approved strategic and comprehensive plans that laid out a vision for the village and helped turn past budget deficits into budget surpluses.

"We do have a comprehensive plan and a strategic plan in place," Maglio said. "(Smolinski) has led us in the right direction."

Domke said he'd urge his board to stay the course.

"(Smolinski's) left us with a strategic plan and comprehensive plan for the village that compels whoever wins to pretty much follow that road map. And it's a good one," Domke said. "The next person is going to have a pretty nice situation. Things are looking well."

If elected village president, Domke has pledged to aggressively market the village to new businesses. He also wants to set aside money to fund "Quiet Zones" for trains passing through downtown.

If he is elected, Maglio wants to look at economic development along Lake Street and work with business owners to increase retention. Both candidates are against any attempt by ComEd to place power lines along I-390 from the Byron power plant facility.

"We're very concerned about what it will do for our residents. And we're very concerned about what it will do to our property values and what route that's going to take," Domke said.