Don’t repeat failures in Lake Zurich

After being voted out of office two years ago, John Tolomei is again running for trustee. If you want to see Lake Zurich’s and Mr. Tolomei’s future, just look at the past with the failed downtown area he participated in.

Tolomei’s downtown success: 1. Condemned private homes and businesses with eminent domain forcing good people to sell out against their wishes. I know I talked to those people. 2. Presided over the failed “Somerset” on Main Street agreement. Still about half empty. 3. Left us with an incomplete overpriced development in the center of our downtown and approximately a 1.2 million lawsuit. 4. Two years ago with the election about three weeks away, he pushed through the ESG agreement so the new board could not negate the contract.

The losers: past and present taxpayers, of course.

The winners: architects, planners, consultants, developers, attorneys

We have just terminated our fourth failed costly downtown plan which puts the residents on the hook for approximately $32 million and might cost $42 million to pay off. Our rewards are empty lots and empty buildings in the downtown area.

Mr. Tolomei became village trustee in 1995 and Mayor Krischke, his running mate, became mayor two years later. Since then, our financial health of Lake Zurich began to deteriorate to its current state with many layoffs, cutbacks and deferred expenses.

And that, my fellow residents, caused many tax and fee increases just to keep us afloat. Now I hear we are anywhere from $28 million to $32 million in debt and he wants back in. Do you really want to give him another chance to continue his incompetence? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!

Claudette J. Dyback

Lake Zurich