Why Wheaton incumbent isn't seeking re-election

Liz Corry says she had every intention of seeking a third term for her at-large seat on the Wheaton City Council.

Then she came to a realization.

“I started thinking about it and was like, ‘You know, I am really proud of the accomplishments that we've made over the last eight years,'” she said.

Feeling the city is in “a good place,” Corry said she simply decided to move on once her term expires in May.

Her decision means six political newcomers will compete in April for two at-large seats on the city council.

Corry said she believes it's a good thing Alberta Adamson, Jeanne Ives, Evelyn Pacino Sanguinetti, Robert Molenhouse, Derek Bromstead and Scott MacKay have decided to seek public office in Wheaton.

“I was the right person at the right time,” said Corry, who first won election in 2003 after being active in public access television and various park district programs. “Now it's time for someone else to step up.”

In the meantime, Corry said she is pleased the council has been able to address a variety of projects, including an expansion of the library, planned flood control improvements for North Main Street and the current reconstruction of the bridge that carries Wesley Street over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

She also is proud to be part of the ongoing discussion about the fate of the former Hubble Middle School in downtown.

“Whatever happens, I think the community is in a good place with it,” Corry said. “People understand that it's going to be developed at some point. Whether it's a public use or a private use, we're in a much better place than we were four years ago with this discussion.”

While she's comfortable with the decision not to seek re-election, Corry admits there are those who are disappointed.

“I could have contributed from the standpoint of my experience,” she said. “But really, anybody who steps up can take a swing at it and have some good results.”

As for what's next for Corry, she has no other political aspirations. “I always said I was never a career politician,” she said.