Juracek won't seek third term as Mount Prospect's mayor
Mount Prospect Mayor Arlene Juracek will not seek a third term as the village's top elected official in the April 2021 election, she announced Thursday.
“After serving the village for more than 25 years in both elected and appointed positions, and a more than 35-year corporate career, the next chapter of my life stands ready to be written next spring,” she said in the announcement.
“I am proud of what we are accomplishing during my tenure and grateful for the enthusiastic support I am receiving while serving our community.”
Among those accomplishments, Juracek cited the formal adoption and execution of a strategic planning process that aligns goal-setting, service prioritization and fiscal responsibility.
“When we celebrated our village centennial in 2017, we honored our founding visionaries,” she said. “A common characteristic of these early leaders was an energetic focus on the future, to make Mount Prospect a dynamic community that seizes opportunities to thrive and change with the times.”
Juracek said growth throughout the village, its diverse revenue sources and its strong bond ratings are evidence the strategic plan is working.
“Even more compelling, the young professionals and families choosing to call Mount Prospect home confirm we are on the right path,” she said.
Careful planning will allow Mount Prospect to weather the fiscal impacts of the COVID-19, Juracek added.
Juracek, 70, a retired utility executive and engineer, first was elected to the village board as a trustee in 2007. She was elected mayor in 2013 after Irvana Wilks chose not to run for a third term, and was reelected in 2017. She ran unopposed both times.
Juracek's decision leaves longtime village Trustee Paul Hoefert in position to potentially take the mayor's office next year. Hoefert, a trustee since 1991, announced in 2018 he would run for mayor in the 2021 election, even before winning reelection to his trustee seat in 2019.
A self-described fiscal conservative, Hoefert has been critical of some major village initiatives in recent years, including the borrowing of millions of dollars to build new police and fire headquarters.
Trustee William Grossi said he also is leaning toward running, but has not made a final decision.
“I believe that I can do the best job for Mount Prospect in moving us forward,” he said.
Besides serving as mayor, Juracek last month was elected to her 6th term as chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission. She is a past president of the Northwest Municipal Conference, and a member of the Illinois Finance Authority Board.