Costco divides trustee hopefuls in Mettawa

Candidates on both sides in the race for four-year terms on the Mettawa village board agree that preserving and enhancing the bucolic surroundings of the small town is a priority.

A proposed Costco store, that some envision as the main income source that will be used to protect open space and expand trails, however, has become a divisive issue that ignited a rare challenge to the incumbents.

The uproar also has generated criticism of how village business is conducted, with both sides promising that residents will have more immediate access to information if they win.

Six candidates are running for three trustee seats.

Incumbents Mary Brennan, village treasurer for more than seven years until joining the board in 1995; Bob Merrifield, a trustee since 1999; and Karl Nagel, former village plan commission chairman and trustee the past five years, have joined as the Open Space Fiscal Responsibility Party. Mayor Barry MacLean and Trustee Larry Falbe, running for a two-year term, also are on the ticket.

They are opposed by William Armstrong, an information technology specialist; John Maier, controller for a title company; and Catherine Nelson, a retired advertising producer. The newcomers are running as the Mettawa Transparency Party. Mayoral challenger Jess Ray and Amy Sue Weiland, a candidate for the two-year seat, also are part of the slate.

Incumbents Brennan and Merrifield agree that at $1 million per year, Costco would be the steady revenue source the village needs in a tough financial time that will allow the village to continue to make improvements. Incumbent Nagel's top priority is acquiring rights of way and completing a trail system in the village, which has nearly as many horses as residents. Revenue from Costco could help insure that happens, he says.

Nagel described Costco, which has a contract to purchase village-owned land at Route 60 and the Tri-State Tollway, as an "absolutely incredible" company. The village bought the property to control the nature of commercial development.

The Costco building would be substantially hidden from view, and with other controls, is a good opportunity for the village, he said.

"I was quite surprised people were opposed to it," he said. "It's really a terrific piece of property for a commercial spot."

Nagel and running mates say they would oppose commercial development in the future.

Challenger Nelson said the Costco process was "flawed" and that no one knew about it until trees were cleared from the property. She and her running mates agree the Costco deal should be rescinded.

"I got into this with an uneasiness of some of the things that have happened in the village," she said. "Once you let a Costco in, that whole corridor will go."

Her slate mate Armstrong said he can understand "the draw of the money" but disagreed with the way the Costco deal was handled.

"It's all about the process, getting all the facts out. If the village needs money there are other ways to get it," he said.

Maier agreed, saying he "started seeing a lot of things that got me concerned" when he reviewed village financial statements.

"Since our legal expenses are about 10 percent of budget, tax rebate is about 17 percent of gross revenue and our municipal services have never been sent out for bid, it is easy to see we have a little bit of work to do to bring our budget into line," he said in a response to a Daily Herald questionnaire.

He said he would end the village's property tax rebate as an unnecessary expense and would promote a restaurant district to generate sales tax.

All three candidates tout improving village management. Auditing revenue streams, controlling legal fees and establishing bid processes for services are among reforms they suggest they would implement.

The incumbents agreed there needs to be better communication with residents, but added that residents haven't sought involvement.

Brennan said the village has been old-fashioned, but a recently installed village Web site will get more people involved.

Nagel agreed.

"We have to do more and understand we have to do more," he said. "We have meetings and nobody comes."

Armstrong said his slate is proposing an outreach program in which village trustees would be assigned neighborhoods in the village.

"We need to talk face-to-face with folks," he said.