Development among issues in Round Lake mayor's race

Business development is one of several issues in the competition for Round Lake mayor.

Incumbent Bill Gentes will face former village planning and zoning board member James Dietz in the April 7 election. Dietz and Gentes each head local political party slates with candidates for Round Lake trustee and clerk.

Gentes, 49, said one of his initiatives will be to bring a supermarket to Round Lake if re-elected for a third, four-year term as mayor.

"No beating around the bush on that," said Gentes, who made an unsuccessful state senate run as a Democrat last November. "We've got to get a supermarket."

Dietz, 58, said he'd push for commercial development in the Route 120 corridor because it would benefit Round Lake the most. He said he'd seek to gain permission from the entities that are part of the Route 120 Corridor Council.

Gentes said the village will be ready to capture new business whenever the economy turns around. Under his direction as mayor, he said, Round Lake acquired land that's suitable for commercial development, most notably 300,000 square feet near Fairfield Road and Route 120.

But Dietz said he isn't sure about what can be done on land owned by Round Lake until he has a clear picture if the village can afford improvements such as sewer service and water lines. He said he's been trying to get a handle on how much debt Round Lake took on to acquire land.

"Where are we at and how to we handle it?" Dietz said of the village's debt picture.

Gentes fronts the Round Lake United Party slate. His teammates are clerk candidate Jeanne Kristan and trustee candidates Brian Brubaker, Al Villasenor and Cynthia Pruim Haran. Kristan and Brubaker are incumbents.

Dietz is the headliner on the United for Change slate. He's joined by clerk candidate Joyce Swieton and trustee candidates Donald Newby, Sonia Sandoval and Susan Triphahn.

Newby is the only incumbent running with United for Change.