Daily Herald endorsement: Light for Glendale Heights village president

Since Chodri Ma Khokhar was elected village president of Glendale Heights in 2021, his tenure has been highly tumultuous.

There have been shouting matches at board meetings, confrontations between elected officials and a list of employees who have quit.

But Khokhar’s name will not appear on the April ballot after the village electoral board decided to remove it. Four candidates — Michael Ontiveroz, Rebecca Giannelli, James Francis Sullivan and Michael J. Light — are now running to replace him.

And all of them say they are committed to bringing peace and civility to the village government.

Ontiveroz, who narrowly lost to Khokhar in 2021, says he’s running again because the village needs leaders who prioritize transparency, accountability and responsible growth. In addition to working to restore residents’ trust in the village government, he said officials must fill vacant positions in several village departments.

Giannelli, who is the president of the Marquardt District 15 school board, says the village deserves strong leadership that listens to residents and prioritizes their needs. She describes her leadership style as collaborative, transparent and results-driven. She said a key priority is to make village operations more efficient and spur economic development.

Sullivan is a retired municipal employee who has lived in Glendale Heights for over 50 years. He describes himself as a mediator and problem solver who has dealt with various situations over the years. He said improving infrastructure and promoting business growth should be a priority for the village.

Light has lived in the village for 58 years and has served as the District 3 trustee for 14 years. He said he is running for the village president position to continue his efforts to make Glendale Heights the best it can be. If elected, he will focus on economic growth and bringing new businesses to the town, including dining, shopping and entertainment.

Glendale Heights residents cannot go wrong voting for any of the candidates. They all express genuine care for what happens in the village.

However, Light stands out as a sitting trustee. His experience on the village board and extensive knowledge about the community should help him get things done. He is endorsed.