Wheaton council won't take stance on Hubble referendum

If there's a bandwagon of support for moving Hubble Middle School to Warrenville, the Wheaton City Council is jumping out of its way.

Members of the council contacted Thursday said they've informally agreed not to follow the actions of the Warrenville City Council, which approved a resolution supporting the Feb. 5, $58 million referendum request.

"I do not see the city council as a whole making any kind of endorsement," Wheaton Councilman Tom Mouhelis said. "I don't think it's appropriate for us to recommend to another government body what to do."

Councilman John Prendiville and other members contacted refused to take individual public stances on the issue, which has divided the community for many years. Their refusal stands in contrast to the public position of Wheaton Mayor Mike Gresk, who supports the referendum push.

Gresk said he's backing the referendum as an individual, not as the mayor. But some council members questioned Gresk's move, saying they don't believe it's possible to separate the person from the political office.

"It's a fair question," Councilman Phil Suess said. "There needs to be clarification given that the mayor is speaking as an individual."

Gresk acknowledged that some people will equate his endorsement of the referendum with the endorsement of the city government.

"I'm sure people will do that," Gresk said. "But I would've supported this even if I wasn't the mayor. Does it mean more to come from a private man who's the mayor? Yeah, I guess. It's a very fine line. If people think that I've crossed it, I apologize for that."

Council members Liz Corry, Dave Johnson and Howard Levine did not immediately respond to interview requests Thursday.