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Endorsement: Kovarik for Gurnee mayor

We like both of the candidates running for mayor of Gurnee. They’re both good people who care about the community. To some degree, their current dynamic has merit — Kristina Kovarik, the thoughtful, progressive mayor working on the long view with a professional staff, and Kirk Morris, the sometimes blustery trustee who isn’t afraid to second guess. That give-and-take works when it doesn’t get out of hand, when it doesn’t become ego-driven. But now that we’re forced to choose, which personality works best as mayor? We think it’s Kovarik’s, and we endorse her for another term. She’s been an effective mayor and leader who has helped Gurnee weather a stormy economic climate. Her latest coup was the recruitment of Macy’s with an infrastructure agreement that doesn’t just lure Macy’s but also helps to sustain Gurnee Mills, one of the city’s most vital economic engines. That Morris cares and gives of himself, there is no doubt. But we suspect that as mayor, he’d have a difficult time recognizing the line between his role and that of the city staff. He has made a campaign issue of city spending and Gurnee’s budgetary process, but while everything can be improved, all the evidence suggests Gurnee is well managed and efficiently operated. Kovarik for mayor.

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