Several Lake County towns to get new mayors in 2015
With candidate filing for the April 2015 election completed, it's clear some Lake County towns will see new mayors take office next year.
Longtime Lincolnshire Mayor Brett Blomberg on Monday confirmed he won't seek re-election to a fourth term next spring. Veteran Trustee Elizabeth Brandt is the lone candidate for the post and thus is in line to replace Blomberg.
The mayors of Volo, Lindenhurst and Tower Lakes aren't seeking re-election either. In each of those towns, only one candidate has filed to replace the incumbent.
The election is April 7. The one-week candidate filing period ended Monday afternoon.
Not every suburb has mayoral races in the spring. All towns have trustee or city council races, however.
School, park and library board races will be on the ballot, too.
Blomberg has been Lincolnshire's mayor since 2003. He served 10 years as trustee before that.
"Don't you think at some point you've got to fade away?" Blomberg, 63, joked. "It's been fun, but it's time to move into other things."
He cited the village's purchase and development of North Park in the 1990s as one of his bigger accomplishments.
The land, at Riverwoods and Everett roads, was considered for a housing development until Blomberg suggested the village buy the 63 acres and create a park. It's now the town's most popular athletic facility.
"That's pretty important," he said. "That's a pretty big step that we took."
Brandt is in her fourth term as a Lincolnshire trustee, and that seat is up for election in 2017. If elected mayor, she and the board will appoint someone to finish her trustee term.
Brandt praised the job Blomberg has done as mayor. She cited building pedestrian path connections and economic development as priorities.
Elsewhere, longtime Volo Village President Burnell Russell isn't seeking re-election after 22 years. Trustee Stephen Henley is the only candidate to replace him.
In Lindenhurst, Village President Susan Lahr will step down next year. She's been president since 2007.
Trustee Dominic Marturano is the lone candidate to replace Lahr. He said he wants to continue infrastructure improvements, such as bike and pedestrian trails and the Grand Avenue streetscape improvement project.
"(I want to) continue to invest in our community," he said.
Tower Lakes Village President Kathleen Leitner wasn't running again. Trustee David R. Parro was the only person to file paperwork to succeed her.
Third Lake residents will elect a village president in 2015, too, but incumbent Gary Beggan is the only candidate there. He's had the job since 2007.
In North Barrington, Village President Albert Pino is running unopposed for re-election. A former trustee, Pino was elected president in 2011.
In Buffalo Grove, Trustee Beverly Sussman is challenging incumbent Village President Jeffrey Braiman.
• Daily Herald Staff writer Doug T. Graham contributed to this report.