Gilberts village president has been there done that, in different town

Rick Zirk knows what it takes to lead a village. In fact, once he's seated as Gilberts' village president, he may be the only guy who knows what it takes to lead two different villages. Zirk was South Elgin's village president from 1997 to 2001.

County and state election officials say they cannot recall another village president who has accomplished the same feat.

"This is rather unique. I have not heard of it and I have been around for about 50 years," Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said.

Cunningham said Robert Moga served as township supervisor in Big Rock Township and later in Aurora Township.

Zirk, who defeated one-term President Tom Wajda on Tuesday, said he was surprised to hear he could be alone in his achievement.

"You would think time to time this would come up with how transient people are these days," Zirk said. "People's careers and lives take them from place to place ... or if you get kicked out of one town you could go and run somewhere else."

Larry Frang, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League, said it is possible multi-town mayors pop up in smaller communities.

"The village president of a town of 500 could move to a town of 1,000 and by acclimation be given the job," Frang said. "But nothing jumps out at me and I have been here 34 years."