Arlington Hts. mayor candidates differ on attracting new businesses

Both Arlene Mulder and Phillip Walter want to get more businesses to open in Arlington Heights.

But they disagree on how to attract them.

Mulder, the incumbent village president, backs the idea she said worked to attract Lowe's and the Bob Rohrman car dealerships - refunding large companies a portion of their sales tax for the first few years.

Walter, who is challenging Mulder in the April 7 local election, said offering financial incentives to cover some of a business's initial startup costs would be a better idea.

"Elmhurst has a grant program for small and mid-sized businesses that is very successful," he said. "Each business fills out an application and village officials decide who gets the money."

The grants would be between $5,000 and $10,000, and Arlington Heights could give out a total of about $100,000 in grants per year. If elected, Walter would cut money currently spent on art for the new village hall and the village's sculpture walk to funds the grants, he said.

The village board approved a tax deal for Lowe's in 2004. The sales-tax-sharing agreement called for one-third of the sales tax generated by Lowe's to be reimbursed to the company up to $2.2 million or for 10 years, whichever comes first. Village officials estimate the village will still receive about $5.1 million in sales taxes in the 10-year period and 100 percent of sales taxes from then on.

"Those businesses could've have located in a lot of other communities," Mulder said.

Mulder, 63, is running for her fifth term at village president. Walter is making his first run for political office. Since 2000, Walter has run for trustee twice and lost.

For the past few years, he's been a regular at village board meetings, criticizing spending and how open the board is for regular citizens.

"He seems like a nice person although I don't know him personally," said Mulder about her opponent. "Honestly, I don't know a lot about him."

Walter has lived in Arlington Heights for 39 years. He has four children with his wife Dawn, who's running for the Arlington Heights Memorial Library board in April.

Mulder has been an Arlington Heights resident for 38 years. She and her husband Albert have three married children and five grandchildren.

Mulder was first elected to the Arlington Heights park board in 1981 and served 10 years. She then served as village trustee before being elected to her first four-year term as village president in 1993. She was re-elected in 1997, 2001 and 2005.

Since 1996, Walter has been the president of M. Walter Roofing in Elmhurst.

"I don't have political experience. My experience is different," said Walter, 42. "I'm the owner of a business that does $7 million in business a year had has 100 employees."

Walter is not running on a slate with other political newcomers who are seeking spots on the Arlington Heights Village Board, though he shares a Web site promoting the grou'ps ideas, votearlingtonheights.com.

Arlington Heights has no term limits. If re-elected, Mulder said her fifth term, may not be her last.

"I still have a lot of energy," she said.