Patricia Romke seeks Elburn presidency

Patricia Romke moved to Elburn in 1997, and 10 years later she was elected to the village board. A village trustee for the last two years, she's challenging Dave Anderson for village president in the April 7 election.

Village President James Willey is stepping down after 14 years in office.

"I was approached to run for village trustee, and I thought, 'What a great opportunity to give back to the community,'" Romke said.

With Romke seeking office while Elburn is experiencing virtually zero growth and budget concerns because of the recession, she hopes to bring her optimism to the job along with her expertise.

"In two years, we've gone from a peak in sales in residential growth to a basic standstill," she said. "It's an opportunity to continue on the theme of 'better, not bigger.' I want to help navigate Elburn through these very difficult times."

Romke said the village is still receiving applications for permits for construction of commercial property. As a Realtor, her profession was hit hard and early by economic downturns. But she says there are signs the housing market is picking up.

"A lot of people are optimistic," she said. "I think we'll come out of this as better people. We won't take things for granted."

Romke, who's the only woman on the village board, doesn't think gender should influence the voters.

"People need to look at what the candidate wants for Elburn," she said.

Concerning priorities for the village, Romke considers construction of the Anderson Road bridge critical for attracting developers. She favors commercial and residential development around Elburn's Metra station, with a variety of housing, and a revitalization of downtown Elburn.

"We want to encourage people to shop in our downtown," Romke said. "Hopefully, when construction starts back up, we'll get some condos and have young people as well as empty-nesters. We need shops to attract them."

Romke would also like to see the village solve the flooding issues that have affected the older part of town, and an upgrade of the water treatment plant.

Also, Romke wants to see more participation in government from Elburn residents.

"I want people to come to meetings and express their concerns," she said. "I want them to call me with questions. We can't fix something if we don't know about it."

• Editor's note: Romke's opponent, Dave Anderson, was profiled last week. That story is posted at dailyherald.com.

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