Cronin ‘concerned’ about how Olson left office

Some of the animosity from their 2010 campaigns for DuPage County Board chairman resurfaced Tuesday when the winner, Dan Cronin, said he has “a real concern” about the way his former opponent, Debra Olson, decided not to run for re-election to the county board.

Olson last week submitted her nominating petitions to enter the spring primary only to withdraw minutes before the filing period closed on Monday. She’s stepping down from the county board on Dec. 14 to become executive director of the DuPage Homeownership Center.

On Tuesday, Cronin said he has “a real concern about what transpired.”

“If people in the public had known she (Olson) wasn’t going to run — and the people knew there was a vacant seat there — you might have a different field of candidates,” Cronin said. “So I am a little concerned about that.”

Three seats are available in Olson’s District 4. Incumbents Grant Eckhoff and JR McBride have filed to run again. Challengers Amy Grant of Wheaton and Milton Township Trustee Christopher Edwards jumped into the race Monday, the last day to file.

Olson reacted to Cronin’s comments by saying it’s “a shame” if anyone wants to view her move as anything other than her taking on a new leadership role in the community.

“He freaking beats me for chairman, and then he’s got to do this when I’m leaving the county? Wow.”

She added later that it would be “very nice if the chairman of the county board would wish me well in my new endeavor.”

Cronin says he wishes Olson “best of luck” with her new career at the nonprofit agency. But he didn’t know she was going to leave the county board until it was formally announced.

“I didn’t tell anybody until yesterday,” Olson said. “I didn’t make my decision until yesterday.”

Olson said she filed her nominating petitions because she was planning to stay on the board.

But after giving it serious thought, Olson said she decided to accept the full-time job offer from the homeownership center. She has been volunteering since April as the center’s unpaid interim executive director.

“You can’t help when a job offer is made to you,” Olson said.

Cronin is responsible for appointing someone to complete Olson’s term, which ends Nov. 30, 2012. He stressed he won’t make a final decision until he’s considered a list of names for the open seat.

“We will have a very open, transparent process,” Cronin said.