Hampshire's new trustee wants to maintain small-town atmosphere

Mike Armato moved to Hampshire in 2008 because he liked its quiet, small-town charm.

Before that, he lived in Lakewood, where Randall Road had hardly been developed, and the community was small and quaint. But over time, he said, it grew and became too congested for his liking.

"So I decided to get rid of all of it and move where you can still see the stars at night and where people walk around and say 'hello' to everybody," Armato said. "It's a unique city in my mind because as small as it is, you can find virtually anything you need or want. It's got a little bit of everything."

As Hampshire's newest trustee, Armato hopes to preserve those characteristics while also growing its economic base. His main goals, he said, are to increase revenue sources to the village, lessen residents' financial burdens and improve the "quality of life and enjoyment of living in Hampshire."

"I have a very high standard of ethics and a reputation of being a fair negotiator and problem solver," he said. "I am looking forward to having the opportunity to help Hampshire grow in the future and still maintain its small-town atmosphere."

Armato replaces Rob Whaley, who moved to the Detroit area earlier this year.

Armato, who owns Sign-A-Rama at 58 E. Main St. in Carpentersville, has served municipalities for years in various capacities. He was active in the Elgin area for several years in the 1990s, leading initiatives to improve the downtown streetscape and some of the city's facilities, such as Festival Park and Gail Borden Public Library.

He was briefly involved in development plans in East Dundee and later, Carpentersville, where he sits on the business development commission and focuses on attracting and retaining businesses.

"I enjoy working with cities," said Armato, who has also been on Hampshire's zoning board of appeals for three years. "If I would've learned that earlier, that probably would have been my career."