For Naperville council: Wehrli, Fieseler, Krummen, Chirico

It is hard to imagine an election decision that is at once both more difficult and more fortunate than to choose among the candidates for city council in Naperville. Twelve individuals are on the ballot seeking four available seats, and all but three who haven't campaigned much would make excellent council members. Ben Isaak Gross, John Adair and Tiffany Stephens haven't participated in as many campaign activities, so it's hard to know them well enough to assess their qualifications. But each remaining candidate is highly accomplished, has detailed knowledge of city business and demonstrates the energy and commitment required of an effective city council member.

Our preferences are incumbents Grant Wehrli and Robert Fieseler and newcomers John J. Krummen and Steve Chirico. Both seeking their second full terms, Fieseler and Wehrli, who was appointed in 2005, have led important initiatives and their impressive knowledge of finance, personnel and infrastructure, especially the transition to a new electric system, are invaluable commodities for this council.

Incumbent Richard Furstenau has generally been a sharp-eyed fiscal watchdog since joining the council in 1999, but we believe that newcomers Krummen and Chirico can bring an equally critical eye to the budget ledger while also providing an especially positive contribution to the personality of the board. Krummen, with experience and advanced degrees in both engineering and finance, demonstrates a facile understanding of the most intricate technical and budgetary matters the city may face.

And Chirico, who has led his flooring company through a financial crisis all too familiar to Naperville and most other towns today, shows both effective leadership skills and a studied awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing the city. Planning commissioner Patty Gustin also offers an intriguing mix of business savvy and direct experience, and candidates Charles Schneider, Joe McElroy and Wayne Floegel bring some important ideas to the table. But for the best mix of experience, commitment and technical background, we endorse Wehrli, Fieseler, Krummen and Chirico.