Arends, Martin, Shipman win Bartlett village board seats

A pair of new faces and a longtime incumbent claimed victory Tuesday in the race for Bartlett’s village board.

Unofficial results Tuesday night showed T.L. Arends, the senior member of the board, will hold onto her seat and serve a sixth term on the panel. She’ll be joined by newcomers Gregory Martin, who won this year after mounting an unsuccessful campaign in 2007, and Eric Shipman, a West Chicago police sergeant.

Joe Felice, who ran unsuccessfully for village president a decade ago, was fourth in the race for three seats, according to unofficial results.

“I was a little worried with low voter turnout at the beginning, but it paid off from knocking on all those doors,” Martin said.

Economic development continued to be the most-talked about issue in the campaign, as officials search for ways to help existing businesses and bring new ones into the village. Martin, 46, said he hopes to make it easier for businesses to get to town and to cut the red tape making it difficult for them.

“The times have changed and we need to change with them. There’s a reputation that it’s hard to do business here and we’ve got to change that,” said Martin, an artist whose studio, Chameleon Artist, is located in the village.

Shipman agreed that business is key to Bartlett, but prefers to focus on the entire village and not just the town center.

“Some of the red tape is a perception. I want to see that there’s more involvement with the community,” he said. “I want community involved in government and the government involved with the community. It’s important that we seek that input.”

At least two newcomers were guaranteed victory this year after incumbents Sherry Bormann and John Kavouris chose not to seek re-election.

Voters first elected Arends in 1991.