Endorsements: Black, Rekus, Russell for Mundelein village board

Mundelein voters can hardly go wrong in electing three village board members on April 2. Each of the three incumbents and two newcomers vying for three open seats brings thoughtful views, respectful and collaborative approaches and records of community involvement to his or her campaign.

The Daily Herald endorses incumbents Scott Black, Bill Rekus and Kerston Russell, though we're confident voters would be served well by either Erich Schwenk or Kara Lambert, both of whom represent a growing young-adult demographic in the village.

The incumbents are running together as the "Moving Mundelein Forward" slate. They have established records of responsiveness, having launched a major flood control effort focused on the Western Slope neighborhood and streamlined the permit process for Mundelein businesses.

Russell, who was elected in 2015 and who, like Schwenk, serves as a Mundelein Business Alliance member, understands that while the village has made progress toward making Mundelein a more business-friendly community, the village still has room for improvement.

Rekus, a board member since 2015, knows that while the village has taken important flood-control steps, infrastructure work remains, including the need to resurface deteriorating streets in some sections of the village. Rekus has valuable experience and knowledge on a range of village administrative functions, having served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for eight years.

Black, who was appointed to the village board in 2017, also has a strong background in planning and zoning. He emphasizes the need for public-and-private sector cooperation and collaboration to advance Mundelein's goal of becoming Lake County's de facto entrepreneurial center.

So, while Schwenk's call for transparency Lambert's business and marketing expertise add to their appeal, the candidates we find best prepared to move Mundelein forward in the coming term are Black, Rekus and Russell