'Younger vibe' beneficial, Batavia mayoral candidate says
Jason Stoops appreciates the work Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke has done for the city and the tremendous amount of knowledge Schielke taps into to do it, gained from decades of experience and his lifelong residency.
But, Stoops said, "a fresh perspective, a younger vibe" could help Batavia become even better.
That's why he is running for mayor in April.
Stoops, 43, said something similar worked for the Batavia school board in 2013, when a longtime board member stepped away, the superintendent retired, and Stoops and four other newcomers were elected.
"That told me that the community wants to see that (new people on boards)," he said.
Stoops said he told Schielke about his campaign Thursday.
Schielke has not announced whether he'll run again. He has been mayor since 1981 and appears to be the third-longest-serving mayor or president in Illinois. He has neighbor Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns beat by 20 years and has six years more than Schaumburg President Al Larson, but he has a ways to go to top Bob Butler of downstate Marion, who has been mayor for 53 years.
Petitions must be filed Dec. 12 to 19. Schielke said Thursday he has not decided. He consults with others before making his decision. "I certainly have received a lot of encouragement," he said.
Historically, he waits until almost the last minute to announce his decision.
As to possibly facing opposition? "I have had opponents before, so it's nothing (bothersome)," he said.
The last time he was opposed was in 2009, when two people ran against him. Before that, he last had opponents on a ballot in 1997.
Stoops and his wife, Amy, have 15-, 13- and 9-year-old daughters. Stoops worked in the personnel recruiting industry but stepped away from that to become managing director of Stoops Enterprises LLC. The firm, started by his grandparents, owns and manages rental properties. Stoops also buys and rehabilitates houses.
Stoops has been attending city council meetings for more than two years, studiously taking notes. He is the school board's designated representative to monitor city business.
Stoops said his campaign won't be adversarial, should Schielke decide to run. He intends to campaign on issues, such as whether the city could do more to attract development and reviewing the effectiveness of its tax-increment financing districts, where tax money going to local governments is frozen at a certain level while any tax money coming from increasing property values goes back into development.