Endorsement: Dietz for Round Lake village president

The race for village president in Round Lake pits a one-term incumbent against a likable challenger, both of whom have deep family roots in the community and have been active in its affairs. Village President James Dietz campaigned his way into office on promises of increased transparency and involvement from the public, while pressing for improvements in infrastructure and economic development. On the first two, he’s made substantial gains, but the slow pace of progress on the latter two has left him open to criticism from opponent Daniel MacGillis. MacGillis wonders why it took Dietz as long as it did to make some key appointments in the public works and police departments, and he’s frustrated that road improvements, notably an effort to reroute Cedar Lake Road through downtown, aren’t moving faster. But, for that matter, so is Dietz, who admits one of the key things he’s learned in his first term is how long it takes to get all the plans, approvals and work schedules completed for complex projects. There’s no question that MacGillis offers a more energetic approach to the job and he has plenty of good ideas. But Dietz has largely kept his promises and, however laid back his style, most jobs seem to be getting done right. He’s earned a second term.