Wheaton candidate won’t attend forum

A Wheaton City Council hopeful says she will not participate in a candidates forum because the president of the sponsoring group is one of her competitors.

“Anybody who thinks this is an impartial setting is completely misguided,” said Jeanne Ives, one of five candidates in the April 5 election for two seats on the council. “It is hard to say this is impartial when their own president is running. It’s all ridiculous.”

The Downtown Wheaton Association will sponsor the forum, which is open to the public, at the end of its board meeting at 7:30 a.m. March 9 at city hall, 303 W. Wesley St. A moderator will select questions submitted by group members and ask the candidates in turn.

Ives’ concern stems from the candidacy of the group’s president, Derek Bromstead.

While Ives insists the forum cannot be run without bias, the rest of the candidates have chosen to attend.

“Unless there is any evidence that someone in the DWA is receiving preferential treatment, that would be one thing, but here there is absolutely no evidence to that effect,” said Evelyn Pacino Sanguinetti. “I am not in a position to start making those allegations or siding with anyone making those allegations.”

Sanguinetti said the fact that candidates will receive the questions ahead of time indicates a level of fairness.

Meanwhile, candidate Bob Molenhouse said a conflict of interest threat is minimal. He said he is more concerned with getting his message across.

“People have to know where you stand on these things,” he said. “I don’t want to be involved with something that is not on the level. But if the taxpayers can learn something about you and how you stand, that’s great.”

Downtown Wheaton Association Manager Noel Wiedman said any fairness concerns are unfounded.

“We are providing this as a service to our members,” she said. “One of them is running, which is great, but it’s important for our membership and downtown property owners to ask questions specific to what affects them, which is the downtown.”

Bromstead said the forum’s format would ensure against any improprieties.

“It’s not like they are going to ask me any different questions,” he said. “One of the organizations that supports the downtown is wanting to hear the views of the candidates on what their vision is for downtown. I don’t understand why that would be a partisan thing.”

Bromstead said the group sponsors meetings that are open to the public every month.

“The downtown and development of downtown is quite a large topic these days, with everything going on with Hubble and the theater and empty storefronts,” he said. “That’s big news. Anybody who doesn’t want to participate, it almost seems like it’s not that big of a concern to them.”

Ives has been a vocal critic of the Downtown Wheaton Association and its funding in the past, failing in a bid to have a special service area dissolved and to make funding of the group voluntary through membership dues.

Council candidate Alberta Adamson did not return calls seeking comment.