Departing Gurnee Mayor Kristina Kovarik looks back on her long tenure

In Kristina Kovarik's 16 years as Gurnee mayor, she weathered both the Great Recession and a global pandemic.

The financial challenges were immense: The village levies no property tax and relies on sales and amusement taxes that were rocked in 2008 and again in 2020.

So, ultimately, what will be Kovarik's legacy when she steps down next week?

For some, it's her fiscal leadership through those rough waters.

"Gurnee was on a tremendous growth path when she took over and she was able to sustain it," village Trustee Greg Garner said. "She grew us during some hard times."

Garner, who was appointed to the board by Kovarik and then ran against her in the 2009 mayoral race, said Gurnee is in a great position to rebound from the pandemic where other villages may be struggling.

For Kovarik, it was the right time to move on.

First elected in 2005, Kovarik's mayoral tenure is the third-longest in Gurnee history. She chose not to seek a fifth term.

"In 16 years I've accomplished a lot and things are humming along," said Kovarik, whose last day in office is May 3. "If I'm going to walk away, this is the time to do it."

Over the years, Kovarik helped attract businesses to town through negotiation and incentive packages, including Macy's in the midst of the Great Recession and Great Wolf Lodge after Key Lime Cove went under in 2017.

For some in the village, her biggest get was Portillo's - long the restaurant most desired by residents. A Portillo's opened in 2015 northeast of Bass Pro Shops at Gurnee Mills.

"We sometimes joke that she is going to be known as the mayor who brought Portillo's to town," said Susie Kuruvilla, executive director of the Gurnee Park District.

Kuruvilla said she will remember Kovarik as an outstanding leader who fostered a sense of goodwill between the many taxing bodies in the Gurnee area.

Kuruvilla said top school, library and other administrators meet regularly and have a great relationship.

"That is not the case in many other communities where the districts do not always get along well," Kuruvilla said. "She's the glue that holds us all together."

Mayor-Elect Tom Hood said Kovarik's legacy also is reflected in the behind-the-scenes work that goes on at village hall. He said Kovarik used her corporate experience to professionalize village procedures.

When Kovarik arrived, the village had no strategic plan, financial forecasting or contingency plans. Now, Gurnee has all three.

"From hiring to interactions with suppliers or businesses in town there's a lot more laid out in a corporate manner so people know what to expect," Hood said. "The village isn't just making things up as it goes along."

Hood said Kovarik probably spends 40 hours each week working on village business on top of her professional work in financial services for Guaranteed Rate.

"She's a mayor who put a lot of time into the pulse of the community and trying to bring good things to Gurnee," Garner said. "I think her accomplishments bear that out."

As for Kovarik, she thinks her legacy will be in both the way the village is run and the staff, whose work she praises at every opportunity.

She said she's proud that in her time as mayor each village department went from being siloed off from each other to being a team working toward the same goal.

"I hope they always remain a team because all those departments working together can solve anything, and together they deliver exceptional services to residents," Kovarik said.

Kovarik said she is glad that when Hood assumes the office he will inherit a well-run organization. Still, she described departing as bittersweet.

"I love the residents and all the different ways there are to help people. If someone has a problem you can help find the solution and I love that," Kovarik said.

"After 16 years as mayor and eight as a trustee, the village is like my family," Kovarik said before joking, "although my family probably won't like to hear that!"