School district 94 president to shift gears

West Chicago Community High School District 94 board President Tony Reyes is hoping to make the move to municipal government.

On Friday, Reyes said he plans to challenge Winfield Village President Rudy Czech during the April election. Meanwhile, Czech says he's going to seek reelection.

"I've been deeply involved in the community of Winfield for all of my adult life," Reyes said. "I also grew up there as a kid, and I really want to preserve the kind of community that we had when I was a kid."

Reyes said the village needs new leadership in the development of the town center. He also said a more aggressive plan is needed to improve Winfield's aging infrastructure.

"I can bring the kind of leadership that works with the town to get things done," he said.

District 94 is in the midst of studying the possibility of merging with Winfield Elementary School District 34, Benjamin Elementary District 25 and West Chicago Elementary District 33.

Reyes has been the driving force behind the proposed consolidation. Still, he says it's a good time to move on. "It's a good place for me to walk away and say 'I did what I could' and leave it up to the people," he said.

Czech, who has been village president since 2005, said he expects up to five people to join the race.

The incumbent said he plans to continue to focus on downtown redevelopment and look at rezoning residential areas along Roosevelt Road.

"I just feel that I enjoy doing what I'm doing," Czech said. "I've followed a lot of the growth that has occurred, and I'd still like to be a part of that process moving us forward."