Pecak upsets Broda to become Lisle mayor

Chris Pecak upset longtime incumbent Joe Broda to become Lisle's next mayor after a campaign that centered on property taxes, development and transparency.

With all 31 precincts counted, unofficial totals showed Pecak winning the village's top elected position with 2,164 votes to Broda's 1,954 votes.

Pecak said during the campaign that he was running to bring change to the village. The construction manager said he would work for a property tax freeze, a balanced budget and improved transparency.

Pecak and other members of his Prosperity for Lisle slate argued that a property tax freeze is possible if village officials eliminate wasteful spending and increase the number of businesses in town.

When it comes to zoning and development, Pecak said the village has a reputation for being difficult to work with. He said Lisle needs to pursue commercial redevelopment along Ogden Avenue.

On the issue of transparency, Pecak blamed Broda for the village's failure to fully comply with a binding opinion from the Illinois attorney general's office.

The opinion directed the village to release the "verbatim recording" of a closed-door discussion about refinancing debt from the construction of the Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex.

Initially, the village only released eight minutes of the discussion. However, the full recording was released last week.

Despite their differences, both candidates agreed when it comes to Lisle's ban on video gambling machines. Pecak said he personally opposes video gambling.