Lake Villa candidates cite key issues

Village finances, taxes and Lake Michigan water are some of the key issues cited by Lake Villa village board candidates.

Incumbents Karen Harms and Jeff Nielsen are facing newcomers Scott Bartlett and Rodney Geller in the race for three, 4-year terms in Tuesday’s election.

The candidates offered the following responses when asked to identify key issues in the race on a Daily Herald questionnaire and in interviews.

Bartlett, 50, is a 28-year member of the Lake Villa Volunteer Fire Department who wants to expand the village financial base.

“I want to encourage new business development to increase revenues for the village,” Bartlett said. “Neighboring areas continue to see commercial growth while we do not.”

Geller, 44, is an information technology professional who said he was most concerned about decreasing tax revenue in the village, traffic congestion at routes 132 and 83 and the potentially high cost of bringing Lake Michigan water to the village.

Harms, 70, is a retired school district finance director who has served on the village board since 2006 and wants the board to take the next step in bringing Lake Michigan water to Lake Villa.

“We recently received our allocations from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources so we need to move forward,” Harms said. “Securing a safe and dependable water source for our residents and our future is of the utmost importance.”

Nielsen, 42, has been a village trustee for two years and said he will hold the line on the tax burden for individuals.

“No new village taxes on our residents,” Nielsen said. “We need to find a way to make our budget work in these tough economic times.”