Endorsement: Roth for Streamwood village president

Billie Roth has been Streamwood village president since 1989. She is detail-oriented, adept at keeping the business of government moving, and she presides over a balanced budget, a property tax levy that barely rose over last year’s and a village government that has had no layoffs in the past five years. On the other hand, she can be openly hostile to people who disagree or who do not support her wholeheartedly and she has very little involvement in regional affairs outside of Streamwood. Jim Cecille, a trustee since 1987 who is running to unseat her, says she is not taking advantage of regional relationships that could benefit Streamwood. He points out, not without merit, that her losing campaigns for state Senate and state House could make it tougher to get those state legislators to work with her. But Roth has gotten the job done. She’s done it her way, and for 24 years, that seems to have worked. We think she’s good for at least four more, and she is endorsed.