Challengers endorsed for Lake Zurich mayor, trustee
From tight finances to more trains, there is no shortage of issues facing Lake Zurich mayor and trustee candidates in the April 7 election.
Mayor John Tolomei heads a slate of incumbent Craig Taylor, former trustee Carol Coleman and newcomer Maureen Degen seeking three, 4-year trustee seats. Tolomei is challenged by Scot Unger and Trustee Suzanne Branding. Newcomers Richard Sustich, Jonathon Sprawka and Jeff Halen seek seats on Branding's slate.
Yet, no issue generates as much debate as downtown redevelopment.
The village pins financial hopes on Uptown Lake Zurich, a retail/residential mix designed to make downtown a destination, and rejuvenate nearby business areas.
But progress has been sluggish. And, while the weak economy and devastated credit and housing markets certainly are factors, village officials are not blameless.
The candidates face a project score card that reads, in part, $28 million in tax increment financing district debt, three developers, two master plans, and one completed project - Concord Village subdivision.
The failure of McCaffery Interests as a developer, a previous master plan that lacked safeguards to limit village financial exposure, and bank foreclosure of a premier downtown project are missteps on this board's watch.
Still, there is much optimism for Uptown. Most agree new developer David Smith and his Equity Service Group is a sound choice, and the new agreement contains adequate protection.
While Tolomei, Taylor and others have worked hard and are genuinely committed to Uptown's success, we believe lack of progress to this point warrants new leadership and a fresh perspective.
We support Branding for mayor, and Sustich, Sprawka and Halen for trustee.
And, just like the Uptown project, this choice is complicated.
Branding, who owns a business in the TIF district, isn't allowed to vote on related matters as trustee, and won't be permitted to break ties on those issues as mayor to avoid any possible conflicts of interest. She says she'll be the consensus builder, and will require trustees to be more active and out in front on the project than they have been in the past.
To help her do that, Branding says, she has assembled a slate of trustee candidates with expertise, knowledge and experience in areas critical to this project and others facing the village.
They face no small task, and we urge her and other challengers to balance their call for due diligence with a readiness to push Uptown forward when the economy stabilizes. It is important this project proceeds in a timely, fiscally sound manner.