Endorsement for Mount Prospect village board: Bjekic. Rogers, Saccotelli

We have seldom seen a ballot that has drawn five more able candidates than the impressive field that is running for the Mount Prospect village board. And if that weren't enough, there's an interesting write-in candidate to boot.

Three incumbents are running for re-election: longtime Trustee Paul Wm. Hoefert, who has made no secret of his interest in running for mayor in two years; Trustee Richard Rogers, who has been a board member for six years and has been involved with Mount Prospect's government in one way or another since 1980; and Trustee Colleen Saccotelli, who is finishing her first term.

Though different personalities - Hoefert, for example, seems to embrace the role of contrarian; Rogers exemplifies a servant leadership style; Saccotelli works to be collaborative - each has had a hand in the rebirth of Mount Prospect's downtown.

Also running are two exceptional challengers: accountant Yulia Bjekic, who's been noticeably active in civic affairs and has built her polished campaign around citizen engagement; and planning and zoning Commissioner Augie Filippone, a common-sense attorney who offers a deliberate, fact-based style to decision-making.

Any of these five would be solid board members, but only three can be elected.

Rogers has a long record of service to the community, good judgment and accessible representation. He's earned our endorsement for re-election.

So has Saccotelli. Though we didn't support her four years ago, she's shown herself to be a thoughtful, hardworking and responsive trustee.

Though it's hard to pass on either Hoefert or Filippone, we're particularly impressed by Bjekic, both her apparent tirelessness and the breadth of her positions. She wants the village to more proactively reach out to the public. She'd be a good addition to the board, and she wins our endorsement.

Write-in candidate Jeffrey Nejdl also has filed to be eligible for election. Clearly thoughtful and clearly committed, Nejdl offers a more youthful alternative for the village board but lacks the experience of the other candidates. We encourage him to seek appointment to a village committee to build his perspective.