Vicki Spellman: 2025 candidate for St. Charles City Council Ward 3

Bio

Office sought: St. Charles City Council Ward 3

City: St. Charles

Age: 60

Occupation: Executive vice president, advertising

Previous offices held: Currently serving on the St. Charles Liquor Commission, and was VP of the PTO in my former town.

What is the most serious issue your community will face in the coming years and how should the city council respond to it?

The most pressing issue facing St. Charles is optimizing new development. Key projects the next City Council must address include the redevelopment of Charlestowne Mall, the old Police Station, and the remaining Pheasant Run property. These projects will have a significant impact on residents' daily lives — affecting everything from economic opportunities and leisure activities to street parking, access to the river, and more.

While development is essential for growth, it’s equally important that we ensure these projects align with the unique character of St. Charles and reflect the needs and desires of our residents. Some current proposals have been misaligned, and it’s crucial that we balance these interests to preserve what is special about St. Charles.

We must involve the community in the decision-making process, research successful strategies from other similar communities, and clearly define the vision and impact of each project. We must move these projects forward with the right incentives and foresight. We have an opportunity with these decisions to make St. Charles an even more exciting, vibrant, appealing place to live and visit, if we get them right.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

Our finances are solid, but there is room for improvement, and difficult decisions lie ahead. While the city's debt has decreased, it still stands at $80 million.

The state-mandated replacement of lead pipes will cost nearly $80 million over the next 10 years, and a new sewer trunk line needed for east-side redevelopment will add another $39 million (also phased over time). These investments are critical to avoid even bigger repair bills down the road. With only $7 million in discretionary funds a year, the challenge is clear.

The council must prioritize these critical infrastructure projects while maintaining essential services and supporting select new initiatives without further burdening taxpayers.

The key is strategic budgeting, including identifying low-impact savings, like holding off on the city council chambers redesign, and boosting revenue growth, as with obtaining grants, low-interest loans, and spurring economic growth.

With my experience managing client and agency budgets, I know how to maximize resources efficiently. As a collaborator and consensus-builder, I am ready to help St. Charles navigate these complex financial challenges responsibly and effectively.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project the community must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

St. Charles is being asked by IMEA, its energy provider, to renew its contract 10 years early, for an additional 20 years, with no clear benefits for us to do so. Eighty percent of the power that IMEA produces is from a coal plant that is in the top 10% of coal plant polluters in the entire country. Many residents, including me, would like to see St. Charles get its energy from more sustainable sources.

I would propose that the city hire an expert advisor to help us understand our options and determine the best path forward. We should also require an IRP (Integrated Resource Plan), as 35 states do, to have transparency and accountability for long-range energy planning.

Sustainability isn’t just good for the environment and our health — it’s good for our local economy. Expert consultants have told St. Charles that cleaner energy will be cheaper than coal, and will put money back in the pocket of residents. While this needs to be thoroughly studied, that’s the kind of win-win I would look for when I am on City Council.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage local government? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your city council.

My career in advertising has also taught me how to creatively solve problems and collaborate with diverse teams — working alongside creatives, strategists, analysts, project managers, scientists, marketers, and media experts, among others, to reach a consensus.

These skills of collaboration, negotiation, and finding win-win solutions are the foundation of my work style, and I’ll bring them to the city council to ensure that decisions are made with the community’s best interests at heart.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

With over 30 years’ experience in advertising agency client service and community volunteering, I bring a unique skill set that is directly applicable to the work of a city council member.

Responsiveness, accessibility and communication are core values that have defined my career, and I will carry these into my work on the council. I promise to respond to questions and concerns within 24 hours. I will promptly resolve the issue or find out who can, and keep you informed.

I am collaborative and work well on teams, valuing a diverse array of opinions, always helping to identify the “win-win.”

I have extensive experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets. I understand the importance of fiscal responsibility and clear, accountable reporting.

Finally, I am passionate about serving the residents of St. Charles. No one will be more energetic, engaged or dedicated.

With my skills in responsiveness, creative problem-solving, collaboration, and financial management, as well as my business and community service experience, I am uniquely qualified. I will work tirelessly to make a positive, lasting impact on St. Charles.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

One idea I’m excited about is the creation of a business incubator in St. Charles. We could offer affordable offices, mentorship, training and networking. We could also include space and support for pop-up shops, to provide new retail businesses the opportunity to test their concept without a major investment. Fifty percent of the pop-up shops in neighboring Batavia have gone on to sign leases in brick-and-mortar Batavia locations.

The incubator would attract a new generation of entrepreneurs, create jobs, increase tax revenues, and foster innovation, contributing to the city’s long-term economic growth.

By placing the incubator in a central, accessible area — ideally downtown, possibly as part of the old police station or mall redevelopment plans — we could stimulate economic development, encourage foot traffic, and create more opportunities for interaction between local businesses and the community.

We could explore local funding opportunities, such as private sponsorships, volunteering, crowdfunding campaigns, or partnerships with local business associations. This approach would help keep costs low, benefiting both the city and our entrepreneurs.