Wheaton candidates to battle over three council seats

Three incumbents on Wheaton City Council will seek re-election this spring, while the pending departure of another councilman has resulted in a three-way contest to replace him.

The filing period for the April 7 election ended Monday evening with incumbent Tom Mouhelis and newcomer Mark Kmiecik submitting their nominating petitions before the 5 p.m. deadline.

Even though three of Wheaton's four available council seats will be contested, a Feb. 24 primary won't be needed because five candidates didn't emerge in any one district.

Mouhelis, who has represented the East District since 2001, will face off against Jeanne Ives, a Republican precinct committeewoman.

Kmiecik joins nonincumbents Jim McMahon and Todd Scalzo in pursuing the West District seat held by Dave Johnson, who has decided not to seek a fourth term. Johnson, the longest-serving city council member, didn't file the paperwork he needed to appear on the ballot.

Meanwhile, in the North District, Councilman Phil Suess must face Tom Johnson again to keep his job. In 2005, Suess earned his post by defeating Johnson by 128 votes.

In the South District, Councilmen Howard Levine will run unopposed for his second term.

Mouhelis, who hinted that his next four years in office could be his last, said he has some unfinished business he would like to tend to, including the redevelopment of the Hubble Middle School property and the city's budgetary woes.

Council members raised the sales tax rate and trimmed $3 million in expenses as part of an effort to eliminate a projected $4.3 million deficit in next year's budget. They recently announced 17 full-time jobs would be cut next year.

"I want to continue serving the community," Mouhelis said Monday.

"I have never considered myself an elected official or a politician. I consider myself a public servant, and that's what I do best."

While Mouhelis said the council can benefit from experienced leadership, newcomers squaring off in the West District said they believe a fresh perspective is needed.

"As a business owner, I look at things differently," said McMahon, a 40-year-old real estate broker. Specifically, he said he wants to help retain existing businesses in the city while enticing new ones to open.

"It hurts the environment as a whole when another business closes," McMahon said.

Kmiecik said he would like to see the city run its budget like a household.

"A household has to live within its means," said Kmiecik, a 51-year-old IT specialist. "The city tended not to live within its means.

"There are essential services that have to be maintained," he added.

"But there are other things that are discretionary that may need to be looked at very hard."