Endorsement: Incumbents endorsed for village board in Hoffman Estates

Daily Herald Editorial Board

In the six-person contest for three seats on the Hoffman Estates village board, incumbents Gary Pilafas, Gary Stanton and Anna Newell are endorsed for re-election. Pilafas has been a leader on the current board and has done the job well. Stanton, appointed in December after the resignation of Cary Collins, was chair of the plan commission for a decade. He is thoughtful, informed and willing to speak his mind. Newell is less assertive, but has sound positions on key issues and is sensitive to the human impact of government. All three are running with the support of the incumbent mayor, which raises a concern about concentration of power and lack of diverse viewpoints in a challenging time for government. Dr. Craig Bernacki offers a forceful alternative to that view and intriguing ideas on controlling expenses and streamlining the planning process, but some of his criticisms and ideas come off as too extreme. Alison Hertz has an intriguing resume and excellent potential for the job, but didn’t offer compelling reasons to endorse her over the incumbents at this time. Robert Weitzel declined to be interviewed.