Daily Herald opinion: Paul Hoefert for Mount Prospect mayor

In summing up his first term at Mount Prospect’s helm, Mayor Paul Hoefert points to “unprecedented development” — including new restaurants and residential projects downtown, a “renaissance” at Randhurst Village shopping center and growth on the south end of the village.

“I look at all of Mount Prospect as the land of opportunity,” he said during endorsement interviews with the editorial board.

And his aggressive approach to community growth is indeed paying off: Five new eateries opened downtown in the last year alone. The extra tax revenue, he emphasizes, is a boost to the village and helps ease the burden on local taxpayers.

Hoefert approaches the April 1 election with one term behind him and 30 years of experience on the village board before that. He is being challenged by Trisha Chokshi, who brings her own highly impressive and well-rounded background to this race as an attorney, former congressional staff member, chair of the village’s finance commission and president of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce.

Chokshi is forward-thinking, and she makes a compelling argument that village leaders could do a better job expanding accessibility and engaging with the community.

But we side with Hoefert on the village’s new ethics policy that arose when Chokshi and her husband, outgoing Village Trustee Augie Filippone, represented a client in front of the board. Filippone — who appropriately has recused himself from matters involving law clients — excused himself from a discussion over a zoning request, left the dais and then returned moments later with Chokshi representing the petitioner. She may not have an issue with that, but we do — and we suspect that many Mount Prospect residents would as well.

After almost 35 years in village government, Hoefert still approaches leadership with great passion and energy. He wants to keep the momentum of the past few years going, and we believe he deserves that chance. Hoefert is endorsed for a second term.