Endorsements: Glogovsky, Sugrue, Wagener for Green Oaks village board

The word "frugal" pops up frequently among Green Oaks village board members discussing the small Lake County town's approach to finances.

In fact, Green Oaks sought and won approval in November for its first municipal tax since the town was incorporated in 1960. That tax - to pay for much-needed road repairs - is expected to cost about $155 per year for the owner of a home with a market value of $500,000. And the board has a plan in place to begin work in May.

Incumbents Richard Glogovsky, Dan Sugrue and John Wagener have been good stewards for the village and speak with pride of the village's AAA bond rating. They are collaborative, supportive and knowledgeable about the issues facing their town.

Though they face a challenge from Bob Madland in the April 2 election, all three incumbents earn our endorsement. They stress transparency and urge resident participation, while Madland did not respond to multiple calls and emails from our editorial board seeking information about his candidacy.

Madland joined the race after a zoning issue in his neighborhood that was later dropped, and we encourage him to continue to advocate for his area, a part of Green Oaks with a Lake Bluff address. Regardless, village voters would be wise to stay the course with Glogovsky, Sugrue and Wagener.

All three highlight infrastructure - particularly roads - as the biggest challenge facing Green Oaks. Their plan to tackle the issue will start this month with construction bids. They are looking to prioritize projects based on those streets for which repairs now could stave off more costly rebuilds down the road.

They also are focusing on the village's tax increment financing district, designed to spark development along Route 176 in the area known as Rondout. Though they describe the area as "blighted," it is now bookended by two new senior living facilities and the trustees stress that with proper attention the corridor shows great promise.

Glogovsky, Sugrue and Wagener are well-prepared to bring this project and others to fruition.