Endorsement: Bartels for East Dundee village president

Despite last year’s announcement that Wal-Mart would withdraw from East Dundee and build new in Carpentersville, this tiny town remains a community on the go. And steps have been made over the past four years to dull the pain of the Wal-Mart loss. Village President Jerald Bartels has overseen a resurgence in the village, which aggressively expanded south on Route 25 to incorporate GAT Guns and took advantage of new legislation in the state to leapfrog the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation conservation area to do it. During Bartels’ latest term (he was elected mayor in 2005 and resigned in 2007 when job responsibilities got in the way and then was re-elected mayor in 2009) the village has acquired new tenants in a couple of shuttered car dealerships and established enterprise zones to spur further redevelopment. The Santa’s Village property is being used again commercially. First-term Trustee Lael Miller likely could do a capable job of leading the village. He admits his views are often similar to Bartels’, differing primarily in leadership style — being more collaborative and inclusive. But East Dundee has changed for the better with Bartels in charge, and we see no compelling reason to stop that. Bartels is endorsed.