Glasgow joins Arlington Heights incumbents on village board

Newcomer Tom Glasgow will join incumbents Norm Breyer, Bert Rosenberg and Joe Farwell on the Arlington Heights village board, according to unofficial election results on Tuesday.

With 81 of 83 precincts reporting, Farwell had 5,683 votes, Glasgow had 5,624 votes, Breyer had 5,316 votes and Rosenberg had 5,124 votes.

The group beat out political newcomers Mike Sidor, Keith Moens, Tabitha Long and Barbara Browne.

Sidor had 3,532 votes; Long had 3,318 votes; Browne had 3,104 votes and Moens had 2,652 votes.

Trustee Virginia Kucera decided not to run for re-election and opened up a spot for a newcomer. Glasgow - who's wife, Denise was re-elected to her spot on the Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 school board on Tuesday - said he was humbled to win a spot on the board.

"I'm happy to be a trustee. It looks like the voters made a clear statement tonight," he said.

Now that Farwell has been re-elected for a third term, he wants to look into putting all village business online. The idea came from Arlington Heights village president candidate Phillip Walter during the campaign.

"If DuPage can do it, I think it's something we should take a look at as long as it's not too expensive," Farwell said.

Breyer was also re-elected to his third term. He said he was a little nervous this time around because the challengers had so many yard signs out.

"You just never know," said Breyer on his way to join the other winners on Tuesday at the Wellington Restaurant in Arlington Heights. "We don't have polling like some of the other big races do."

Glasgow and Farwell are lawyers while Breyer and Rosenberg are certified public accountants.

Much of the campaign centered around the village's budget, with the newcomers criticizing past and current spending. During a candidate forum, Sidor wanted to know how trustees planned to pay for nine new firefighters they approved hiring in 2007.

The 2009-10 levy includes an additional $300,000 that will help pay for the firefighters. A federal grant paid for 80 percent of the firefighters' salaries in the first year, but the grant drops by 20 percent each year until the fifth year, when the village will pay for the entire $1.1 million cost of the salaries.

All of the incumbents defended the move to hire the new firefighters and said the move could save lives.

The incumbents also defended themselves when Sidor claimed they ignored a letter from a physically handicapped resident concerned some curbs weren't getting fixed with a wheelchair friendly slope.

Village Manager Bill Dixon said the topic will be discussed after in May or June.