Geneva voters get good choices

In Geneva, unopposed Mayor Kevin Burns should have a solid city council with which to work. And it starts with another term for First Ward alderman Sam Hill. Hill, who has lived in the city for more than 30 years, gets the nod - but not by much - over challenger Michael Olesen. Eight years on the park board and eight years on the city council have served Hill well. At a recent committee meeting an inordinate amount of time was spent on cutting various line items from the budget. "We shouldn't nitpick," Hill says. "The Geneva City Council should be policy-making." We couldn't agree more. Hill also favors communitywide development; in other words, don't forget the east side. Another burning issue is leaf pickup, and Hill wants the service to continue. "It was never intended to pick up every leaf in town." Olesen, a lifelong resident, owns two businesses in town. He, too, believes Geneva is more than just Third Street when it comes to development and new business. He opposes using public money to help private enterprise.

In the 2nd Ward, Richard Marks is the choice to replace William Barclay, who is not running for re-election. Marks's long list of volunteer efforts shows his commitment to Geneva. He's attended most city council meetings the last two years. His observations on the financial hurdles the city faces and the experience he would bring as a Certified Public Accountant should be valuable as the city navigates rough economic seas.

Geneva's 5th Ward will have a newcomer since Paul DesCoteaux has decided not to run. There are four candidates and the strongest is Ralph Dantino. Attorney Douglas Warlick would likely get our endorsement just about any other year, but in a fairly major revamping of the council Dantino is our choice. Warlick has great enthusiasm, is a tireless volunteer and thinks aldermen should not be paid. Kudos to him. He also believes downtown is the gateway to Geneva and that's where we part ways. There's no denying the importance of downtown, but it's the east side that needs attention and Dantino would bring that voice to the table. Dantino packs plenty of civic involvement in his resume. He was on the school board from 1996 to 2001, has been an appointed member of the Geneva Plan Commission member since 2006 and is a member of the Geneva Park District Foundation. He knows how the city works and can hit the ground running. Candidate John Trierweiler is a 20-year-old college student who knows the city, its issues and could be a diamond in the rough. He has ideas to help the city's revenue situation such as developing the former Kane County jail site, sprucing up Settler's Hill landfill and addressing the East State Street corridor. We strongly encourage his involvement with the city.