Island Lake mayoral candidates share thoughts on key issues

The three candidates seeking to be Island Lake's next mayor differ on the village's key issues.

While one cited the strife on the village board as the town's biggest problem, the two others are concerned about the economy's impact on village revenue and services.

Trustee Deborah Herrmann, Trustee John Ponio and former trustee Sally Fleissner are running for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Tom Hyde is not seeking re-election.

Only Ponio and Herrmann will appear on the April 7 ballot. Fleissner is running as a write-in candidate.

The seat carries a 4-year term.

The candidates identified what they thought were Island Lake's biggest issues in a questionnaires for the Daily Herald.

Fleissner cited "board relations" as the town's biggest issue. Trustees and the mayor have sparred for years over a variety of issues and personal grudges.

That strife prompted Fleissner to quite the board in 2005.

"Once this issue is taken care of, all other issues will fall into place," Fleissner said. "They can then be prioritized and resolved in a positive manner."

Herrmann was most concerned about the economy's impact of village revenue. Operating the village with a balanced budget while still providing quality services to residents will be her top priority if elected, Herrmann said.

"This will be enhanced by actively seeking available grants and cooperatively working with state agencies and legislators," she said.

Ponio was similarly concerned about the economy. Village hall must meet the community's increased demands with limited resources, he said.

Although he didn't cite any specifics, Ponio suggested privatizing some services to promote local businesses.

"This provides better products and services at lower costs to the residents," he said. "More money in the residents' pockets (puts) more money into the economy. This, in turn, provides more tax revenue (for) the government."