New Eighth Ward alderman named in Aurora

For most of his 21 years living in Aurora, Rick Mervine has been happy volunteering with various committees to make the city a better place.

He recently decided it was time to do more.

Mayor Tom Weisner appointed Mervine Friday to fill the vacant 8th Ward seat of former Alderman Chris Beykirch, who stepped down to take the position of small business development coordinator for the city.

Mervine was selected out of three residents who submitted applications.

"We had three very fine and dedicated candidates who are committed to making Aurora a better place," Weisner said Friday. "Rick's volunteer experience gave him a clear edge, however."

Mervine, 55, lives in the Oakhurst subdivision on the city's far east side and is a self-employed consultant specializing in strategic planning, marketing and management issues.

He has performed contracted management work for the city in two capacities: as director of the Midwest Literary Festival for two years and as a consultant to the city's information technology department.

A two-time recipient of the city's Volunteer Appreciation Award, Mervine has volunteered in a number of capacities. He is a founder of FoxFest and the annual Aurora Sports Festival for seventh- and eighth-grade students, now in its 14th year.

For eight years, he has been a neighborhood representative for the Oakhurst Community Association. He is a founding member of Grace Community Christian Church, also in the 8th Ward.

"I've always been a volunteer but I've never really been involved in the political sense," Mervine said Friday. "But I decided to throw my hat in the ring about four weeks ago and I'm very happy to have been selected and to be able to make an even stronger impact."

Initially he would like to set up a ward committee to get residents talking about the community, but he's also got some of his own objectives.

"I'm a quality of life-oriented guy and the ward is the same way, so we're going to work to ensure the growth and safety of the community and tackle some of our traffic issues," he said. "I also intend to make economic development a priority along with fighting the (Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway) acquisition."

In Mervine, Weisner said residents of the 8th Ward can expect an alderman ready to "jump right in" and get involved.

"Rick is a pretty inclusive guy who will always be gathering opinions and learning," Weisner said. "He doesn't operate in a vacuum."

Aldermen are expected to vote on Mervine's appointment at the next city council meeting on May 13. The seat will be up for re-election in April 2009 to fill the remaining two years of the unexpired term.