Endorsement: Vitek for mayor of St. Charles

When Ray Rogina decided against another run for mayor of St. Charles, it opened the door for two aldermen in neighboring wards to take a shot at filling the void.

Lora Vitek, who has represented the Fourth Ward since 2017, is the executive director of a charitable foundation. She also chairs the St. Charles Initiative, a public/private partnership that allowed the city to purchase the 1 W. Main St. property that has helped expand the new heart of the downtown.

Maureen Lewis is a 10-year alderman, serving the Fifth Ward, who used to run a business in town. She points to her involvement in America In Bloom, which helps to beautify the city, as one of her greatest achievements.

Unlike many of the mayoral contests in the Fox Valley, these two candidates don't have harsh words for one another. Both clearly want to take what they've learned and use it to build on St. Charles' success.

Lewis said she had been debating whether to run for alderman again when Rogina announced he would be leaving office. She figured she could take what she's learned and could fill that gap.

We think Vitek's off-the-

charts energy and business acumen gives her the edge. Her vision for what public/private partnerships can do to breathe life into a downtown is exciting. Her ward encompasses the downtown, and that's where the action is for the foreseeable future.

Vitek is endorsed.