Endorsement: Hanlon for Winfield village president

For too many years, the Winfield village board has been mired in controversy, bickering and name-calling. The last two years, it has ramped up to even greater heights as a four-member majority has staked its claims to making decisions the current village president and the minority on the board have fought tooth-and-nail to stop, especially as they relate to developing the Roosevelt Road corridor. The dysfunction forced Village President Deborah Birutis to decide against seeking re-election after one term. And, we fear, the problems are likely to continue without someone more independent leading the way and seeking compromise between these two factions. In the two-way race for Winfield village president, that person is Rob Hanlon, a relative newcomer to village politics with a refreshing focus on collaboration that is long overdue. While he believes development is necessary as Winfield looks for new sources of revenue, Hanlon also recognizes that all points of view need to be taken into account. His opponent, Trustee Erik Spande, has been in the thick of the battles on the board since his appointment in 2011. He has a long record of service in the community. However, his main goal seems to be silencing the current board majority with no plan on how he would work with them should they continue to be in the majority after April 9.