Buffalo Grove's Mathias may be making political return
Republican Sidney Mathias - a former state representative and Buffalo Grove mayor - may be making a political comeback.
He's being recommended for a Lake County Board seat to replace David Stolman of Buffalo Grove, who was elected to another post in November. Stolman resigned because he was elected Lake County treasurer.
Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor wants Mathias to represent District 20, which includes Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and unincorporated areas. The full Lake County Board is scheduled to vote on Lawlor's nomination of Mathias on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
"We had three applicants, all that had a wealth of experience," Lawlor said Thursday. "When it came down to it, Sid Mathias stood apart because of his experience in the (state) legislature."
Lawlor said he expects Mathias to become valuable on regional issues, such as the possible northern extension of Route 53.
Mathias' 14-year run as a state representative ended when he lost to Democrat Carol Sente of Vernon Hills in 2012. Mathias cited a Democratic redistricting after the 2010 Census as a significant factor in his loss to Sente.
Lawlor, who by state law must fill the Republican Stolman's seat with someone from the same political party, said he doesn't anticipate any problems with Mathias receiving county board confirmation. If approved next week, Mathias would be immediately seated on the county board for a term running until the 2016 election.
Mathias, 70, started his political career on the Buffalo Grove Zoning Board of Appeals in 1983. He was elected as a Buffalo Grove village board trustee in 1989, became mayor in 1991 and moved on to the state legislature in 1998.
One issue he plans to tackle on the Lake County Board dates to early in his political career.
"Route 53 has been one of my priorities since I was a trustee in Buffalo Grove," said Mathias, who's been on a blue ribbon advisory council studying the long-proposed highway extension north from Lake-Cook Road.
Mathias has been plenty busy since leaving the General Assembly about two years ago. In addition to the Route 53 panel, he's a member of the Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee and a docent in training at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie.