Abruscato win leaves no doubt

Veteran Wheeling Trustee Judy Abruscato realized a dream when she won the race for Wheeling president.

Being president, she said, completes a circle.

"When I was in eighth grade, I was president of the school," she said. "When I got into high school, I was president of organizations. When I became an adult, I was president of the Lioness Club and I was president of the Rotary Club."

Abruscato, 74, a village trustee for 22 years, has coveted the post for years.

Her victory officially ended nearly two years of rotating leadership put into motion by Greg Klatecki's resignation two years ago - and put her squarely in charge of a sometimes fractious government.

She defeated another longtime trustee, Patrick Horcher, and business owner David Kolssak for the four-year term.

With 25 of 25 precincts counted Tuesday night, Abruscato received 1,201 votes to Kolssak's 684 and Horcher's 549. All totals are unofficial.

She attributed the margin to hard work and the devotion of her supporters.

She said she and the trustees will "sit down and see what we need to do to continue with the growth and what we owe - and the bottom line is what we owe - 39,000 residents."

Horcher, 45, who remains on the village board, which he has served for 14 years, said, "She's a good politician. I did the best I could."

Horcher said the village needs to be more business friendly and his priority would be making sure every applicant who comes before the board is treated fairly, which he says hasn't always happened.

Horcher said he would advocate lowering the village's sales tax. He would also investigate lowering residential property taxes through the establishment of special service areas targeting tax increases to only properties benefiting from the project.

He said the village also needs to eliminate jobs and reconsider its salary and compensation packages.

Kolssak, 39, a member of the Chicago Executive Airport board, said he was happy with his campaign, even though he fell short.

"It has been a tough campaign for me, and I have stayed above the fray and I have endured a lot of personal and difficult attacks and I have stayed clean. I wish (the board) well, but I'm glad it's over."

Kolssak said his main economic priorities are redeveloping vacant land and improving the village's strained relationships with its neighbors and other government agencies such as the local schools and the library and park districts.

Kolssak said he would like the village to offer new and existing businesses incentives to stay and grow in town, such as through the village's facade improvement grant, which the village recently discontinued.

During the campaign, all three candidates agreed the economy is the most pressing issue and that the village should monitor its spending to prepare for leaner times. They also agreed the village should do something to ease the burden of special taxing districts on other taxing bodies.

As senior trustees, Abruscato, Horcher and Dean Argiris took turns as acting village president after President Greg Klatecki stepped down midterm in 2007.

Both Abruscato and Horcher ran against Klatecki in 2005, and lost. They were re-elected trustees in 2007 and have two years remaining on their village board terms.

Abruscato said her main initiative will be increasing retail and commercial development in order to strengthen Wheeling's tax base. She wants various vacant properties in town redeveloped, such as the former Kmart and Wickes sites, as well as a large piece of land owned by the Horcher family.

Abruscato and Kolssak agreed the village should forcibly take the abandoned Kmart at Route 83 and Dundee Road.