Bartlett mayoral hopefuls talk development

Sherry Bormann thinks Bartlett has been trying its hardest to lure businesses to the village, while Michael E. Kelly calls those efforts insufficient.

The two candidates in Bartlett's first contested village president race since 2001 both tout business development in their platforms. But they differ on how to accomplish it.

Bormann, 61, has been a village trustee for six years and has seen Bartlett's downtown transform. In the tough economic climate, she said the village needs to maintain its conservative approach to doing business. She's not sure why more businesses don't invest more in Bartlett, but points to the success of the Brewster Creek Business Park as proof village staff isn't slacking.

"The village had worked really hard to attract businesses to the business park," she said. "We're still seeing growth there."

For Kelly, 53, the Hanover Township supervisor, retaining businesses is a bigger priority. He calls the vacant storefronts along the downtown railroad tracks a "white elephant." He said he isn't happy with how the village evicted factories and other downtown businesses to make way for the current town center.

He thinks the village needs to better promote current businesses, including putting up better signs.

"There's just a lot of simple things," Kelly said.

Bormann acknowledges downtown hasn't developed as fast as hoped, but points that other towns with similar developments along railroad tracks, like Roselle, are dealing with the same problems. She advocates the village finally constructing the long-awaited bike path from Naperville Road to downtown, which she said could bring more traffic toward stores.

Though Bormann doesn't want to waste tax money to try to secede from Cook County, she said Cook County taxes have impeded development. Parts of Bartlett are in DuPage and Kane counties.

Hanover Township placed a nonbinding referendum on April's ballot asking voters if they want to leave Cook County. Kelly said he supported the question because it didn't cost taxpayers' money.

He added the village doesn't do enough for businesses, and that often the only contact business owners have with the village is during annual inspections.

Kelly also said the village needs to take the lead and resurrect SummerFest, a chamber-run event that was canned in 2007 because of a lack of a site to hold it. Kelly said the village should also hold multiple smaller festivals to attract people to downtown. He said the village has the money to throw the events.

"Everyone likes a festival," he said.

The candidates agree that the village shouldn't hire additional personnel to work on economic development.

Kelly also said the village's surveys of residents on economic development issues aren't enough to measure what residents want. Bormann suggested relying more on the chamber and other civic groups for their opinions.

Bartlett residents on April 7 will elect a new president for the first time since 1993, as incumbent Catherine Melchert is not running again.