Endorsement: Kevin Burns for mayor of Geneva

Kevin Burns has been a good steward of Geneva as its mayor for the past 20 years.

His administration has weathered the storm of COVID-19 well, balancing the health of its residents with the needs of a business community struggling with closures and restrictions on the number of customers.

Burns has been a good communicator throughout, both within his community and with other governmental leaders and stakeholders.

If COVID-19 showed us anything, it showed us how a small city should be run.

We see no compelling argument for replacing Burns at this juncture.

Burns faces Tom Simonian, a former alderman in town, just as he did in 2017.

Burns won that 2017 matchup with 62% of the vote. Two years later, Simonian lost his aldermanic seat by an identical percentage.

The dynamic is largely the same today, as are Simonian's ideas.

Some of his complaints are spurious, some vague. To each point, Burns has a ready answer.

One of Simonian's complaints is that Burns broke a tie vote in consideration of allowing recreational marijuana in town. Simonian is opposed to recreational pot. Burns said he voted yes to create a process whereby residents, the plan commission and the city council would have ample opportunity to weigh in on all facets of a proposal should one come Geneva's way.

Burns is endorsed.