Carpentersville trustee, longtime resident Kevin Rehberg moving out of state

A lot has changed since Kevin Rehberg first was appointed to the Carpentersville village board about seven years ago.

The village's east side has seen significant growth with the addition of Walmart and other new businesses. Carpenter Park and its connecting bike trails have been upgraded. Maple Avenue was completely restructured.

And when a new round of trustees was sworn in last month, Rehberg became the current board's longest-serving elected official.

Rehberg is now stepping down from his post as his family prepares to move to Florida. A lifelong resident of the area, he says he'll miss being at the center of the action but he's confident Carpentersville's future is in good hands.

"It's been really encouraging so far because I've seen (the newer trustees) start to come out of their shell a bit and bring new ideas they want to put forward. That's why they're in those seats," Rehberg said. "They're in good shape."

During his tenure, Rehberg served as the chairman of the audit and finance committee, and considers holding the line on property taxes to be one of his greatest successes. The village also has increased transparency the past several years, he said, particularly when it started video-recording its meetings and making them available online.

Dealing with unfunded mandates from the state have been "far and away" the biggest challenge Rehberg has experienced on the board, he said, but Carpentersville has adapted along the way. And the village has significantly improved its financial stability and reporting - the "low-hanging fruit" from before Rehberg's time.

"Holding local office isn't nearly as scary as it's made out to be," he said. "It's a fantastic experience. I've loved every second of it."

Rehberg was first appointed to the board in the fall of 2012 and was elected to his first term in 2013.

Village President John Skillman will appoint a new trustee to carry out the remaining two years of Rehberg's second term. His replacement must be approved by the village board.

Rehberg has been a communicative leader, always answering constituents' questions and responding to inquiries on social media, Skillman said. He also assisted in easing the transition the past few years while the board was going through significant turnover.

"He helped us move forward," Skillman said. "He's been a good voice for the conservative side of our board. We're going to miss him."