Ragucci retains presidency in Oakbrook Terrace

Oakbrook Terrace Village President Tony Ragucci appears to have coasted to his third term after fending off a challenge from the village's planning and zoning commission chairman.

According to unofficial results and five of six precincts reporting, Ragucci was leading with 326 votes to Arnold Noble's 143.

Ragucci said he has led Oakbrook Terrace through the tough recession and into an era of steady business growth, all in an effort to keep taxes low.

"The city is going in the right direction and I want to continue bringing in new corporate retail and restaurants," Ragucci said during the campaign. "Every time I turn around, a new company wants to come to Oakbrook Terrace so we're in a really good spot."

Ragucci also said he was pleased to have secured the Oakbrook Terrace OTB.

"That's bringing in good money to the city. We worked with the president of Hawthorne Race Track and retained them," he said. "That's a good 1 percent tax from gaming and restaurants. We're keeping the tax base very low and our residents have seen reduction in their local share."

Noble, who was appointed to his position by Ragucci, campaigned on a platform claiming he could better serve the residents.

Among his concerns, he said he believed the village police chief's salary is too high and promised to let the chief go and promote a current sergeant to to the top spot at a lower salary. Noble also said he would remove the latest red-light camera red light cameras at Route 83 and 22nd Street. Ragucci argued the cameras, which are the subject of a lawsuit filed by neighboring Oak Brook, are justified and promote safe driving habits.

"People say it's a cash cow," Ragucci said. "I say it's safety."