Fitch, Prendiville win seats on Wheaton City Council

Incumbent John Prendiville will serve another term as an at-large councilman on the Wheaton City Council along with newcomer Suzanne Fitch, according to unofficial results.

With all 62 precincts reporting, Fitch and Prendiville together gathered 76 percent of the vote. Fitch took the lead with 4,053 votes, while Prendiville received 3,571 votes.

Newcomers Ron Almiron and Tony Lyons trailed behind with 1,418 and 999 votes, respectively.

Prendiville, a 52-year-old attorney, served on the council from 2007 to 2011 and again since 2013 after an unsuccessful run for mayor. He said he has worked hard to be well-prepared during his time on the council and will continue to make sure the city is fiscally responsible.

In his next term, Prendiville said there will be "some tough calls to make" due to expected reductions in revenues, but he is looking forward to helping the city figure out what to do next.

"I feel very fortunate that the voters in Wheaton trust me to represent them for another four years," he said.

The other open at-large seat that will be filled by Fitch was vacated late last year by Evelyn Sanguinetti, now Illinois lieutenant governor.

Fitch, a six-year member of the city's planning and zoning board, has said her top priority on the city council will be to ensure the city stays financially stable. She said she will scrutinize all new spending to ensure costs do not outweigh benefits.

An attorney, Fitch said she is also concerned about public safety near the downtown train station and in residential neighborhoods and school zones where drivers speed.

"I'm very pleased," she said Tuesday night of her win. "This was the work of a huge team. I had a lot of help from a lot of supporters ... I'm just really happy that my message of fiscal responsibility resonated with the voters."

Mayor Michael Gresk ran uncontested and was re-elected to a third term.