Field of candidates for Des Plaines mayor growing longer

Voters in Des Plaines may find a lengthy list of candidates for mayor on their ballot on April 7.

Fourteen people have taken out nominating petitions for the position, according to officials from the Des Plaines clerk's office.

The final number of names that appear will depend on who gets the necessary signatures and files their petitions with the clerk by the Jan. 26 deadline. Filing starts Jan. 19. Longtime incumbent Tony Arredia can't run because of term limits adopted in a referendum a few years ago.

Forbes "Dan" Gilchrist and Bill Makuch, longtime residents who have never before been involved in politics, were the last two to apply for and receive petitions.

While both Gilchrist and Makuch know that the field is crowded and most of the other potential candidates are better known, they say they are determined to run because they don't want to see the casino and other projects within the city mishandled and the money wasted.

"During the 38 years I have lived here, I have seen this city go from a well-run place with businesses and people at the heart of it to the political beast I believe it is at the moment," said Gilchrist, an electrical engineer and local entrepreneur. "We need to promote ethical businesses coming to town. Instead, we get a casino. I don't want my kids and their friends dealing in a casino."

The new casino license granted to the city just before Christmas is also at the heart of Bill Makuch's decision to run for mayor. A graduate of Maine West High School and lifelong resident of Des Plaines, the 52-year-old Nicor transmission line mechanic wants to make sure the money generated by the casino is not squandered.

"They create TIFs (tax increment financing districts) for everything and that is just a waste of money," Makuch said of the districts created to provide financial incentives for redevelopment. "We need to plan well for this casino and I have never seen this city plan well for anything. - We need to increase our police and fire presence down in that area. We may even need a sub-unit right there at the casino to alleviate problems."

Makuch also feels strongly that the money generated, which he expects to be even higher than predicted, be used to alleviate tax burdens on Des Plaines residents.

Several other citizens without previous experience had earlier thrown their hats in the ring. They include Walter Stancy, Tony Cimbalo, Mark Szumylo and John Chelmers.

Rounding out the potential slate are current aldermen Marty Moylan and Don Smith; former aldermen Dick Sayad and Tom Becker; former 6th ward aldermanic candidate Patrice McDonough; longtime Planning Commission member Sally Lowing; Mike Lake, husband of Des Plaines Public Library Board President Noreen Lake; and Mark Thompson, former Maine Township supervisor and board member and current Maine Township Republican committeeman.

Well-publicized squabbles within the township's Republican organization ousted Thompson from the supervisor position in 2001 after two terms.

"There was some division among the Republicans in Maine Township over the past several years," Thompson admitted. "But we have worked out those differences and we are united again."

He is entering the Des Plaines mayoral race because he sees this as "a unique opportunity with term limits coming into play with regard to the mayor's position."

The crowded field doesn't concern him at all.

"I have the experience of being a municipal chief executive officer and running a municipal government," explained Thompson. "And I am the only one in the race who has ever run citywide. - As a former member of the state's attorney's office, I feel that I can help assure that the casino stays good and clean when it comes in."

A lifelong resident of Des Plaines, Thompson is an attorney with the State of Illinois.

"This will be a very interesting race if everyone who took out petitions actually files them," Thompson said. "There is no provision for a runoff so whoever gets the most votes, wins. It could be a very divided vote with so many candidates."