Endorsement: Pilafas, Stanton, Newell for Hoffman Estates trustee
Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod delivered his annual state of the village address Wednesday to the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the mood was decidedly mixed.
The Sears Centre arena is making progress, construction is getting started on the tollway interchange improvement at Barrington Road and new restaurants are on the way.
But there's plenty to worry about too - the uncertain futures of the Sears' property and AT&T, the prospect of significant cuts in state funding that McLeod warns could cost the village some of its police and fire staffing.
Worries like these are nothing new for Hoffman Estates. The village has faced many of them since the dawn of the Great Recession and has so far weathered them through the efforts of McLeod and a stable and levelheaded village board.
From our perspective, that's reason enough to endorse three solid members of that board who are up for re-election - Gary Pilafas, Gary Stanton and Anna Newell.
We're especially impressed by Pilafas, who possesses a broad level of experience, strong leadership ability and needed energy. As chair of the village finance committee, he's taken an active role in helping to ensure that the Sears Centre works.
Stanton, whose involvement with village government dates back to 1985, is thoughtful and committed. Newell brings a humanitarian approach to her work on the board.
We have been sorely tempted by the candidacy of former Trustee Cary Collins, who clearly is engaged in local issues, but at a time when collaboration is particularly important, we worry that his feisty independence and unfettered ambition for the mayor's office may end up being counterproductive.