Monday was the last day in most of the northwest suburbs to file for upcoming municipal elections and for the most part the day passed quietly.
The spicier issues may prove to be layered in several local referendums, including whether to allow casino gambling at Arlington International Racecourse and whether Des Plaines should eliminate its part-time city treasurer’s post.
Come April 4, the area will feature an array of local mayoral and trustee races, a few of which are bound to generate some controversy even surrounding such plain-vanilla topics as balanced budgets and a user-friendly police force.
In South Barrington, voters will decide whether a housing development would mean a sizable boost in village property taxes or the dangerous possibility of overtaxing the resources of the school system there.
One of the hottest mayoral races will be in Schaumburg, where incumbent Al Larson, 56, will try to ease voter concerns about crime by pushing his philosophy of “community policing.”
“The concept is that it allows police to interact with the community and gets officers out of the squad cars,” Larson said.
But challenger Judith Pietrucha questions the idea even though she said the concept of better relations between residents and police is a good idea.
“Where are you going to do that in Schaumburg?” she asked. “In the neighborhoods-where no one is home during the day?”
Pietrucha, 40, an attorney in private practice, also said she was distressed by what she called “knee-jerk” reactions of the current administration, which she says jumps into court too quickly. She cited city lawsuits involving flag and teen dance ordinances as examples.
Both candidates said they would press to improve traffic problems at major intersections in Schaumburg.
Probably the last person to file Monday-just a few minutes before the Prospect Heights city clerk’s office closed-was former acting mayor Jerry Meyer, who is seeking the mayoral post.
“It wasn’t as though I was running down the street,” Meyer said. “I simply chose to wait until the end of the filing period.”
Meyer said he chose to run again because he was unhappy mostly with the speed but also with the manner in which current Mayor Edward Rotchford, 61, had handled several issues. Among them: tapping into the Lake Michigan water system, repaving roads and the implementation of a fledgling police force.
Meyer maintains that he initiated the force while he served in 1989.
Also a real point of contention in Prospect Heights: whether a fire department is needed. Incumbent Rotchford says yes, it’s time to consolidate operations. He says Prospect Heights now uses the services of four neighboring departments and pays too much for relatively slow service-especially to the rural Wheeling department.
Challenger Edwin Shipanik, 63, agrees with Rotchford there, though not on much else.
But 27-year-old challenger Dolores Vole said she was not convinced that it was what residents wanted.
“It’s not a bad idea, but we need to really look at the direction we want to go in,” she said.
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In Rolling Meadows, another last-day filer, Kim Denton, positioned himself to challenge Ald. Glenn Anderson and Ald. Thomas Menzel for the job of outgoing Mayor Carl Couve. Couve, 62, decided to retire after four years of service.
Anderson, 65, who calls himself a “social organizer” who served for years with Boy’s Clubs and senior centers, said he would work to smooth the ruffled feathers of aldermen.
Menzel, 50, an 18-year council veteran, said Anderson wrongly supported building an $8 million public works garage that would be used to store sanitation, snow removal and police equipment.
“We can get along without it,” he said, pausing. “But whether we need it badly or not, we can’t afford it.”
Perhaps one of the most controversial issues on the ballots in the northwest suburbs is the battle surrounding the question of gambling in Arlington Heights. Perhaps half that battle was just getting it on the ballot. After a petition was circulated, the question was to be put up for a vote. But it was struck down after several courts decided the wording was too confusing. The wording was then simplified and the issue now-“Shall casino gambling be permitted at Arlington International Racecourse?”-will be decided by voters April 4.
“We don’t believe this is any magic tax or development engine,” said Phil Crusius, head of the group of Concerned Citizens for Self-Determination.
Des Plaines voters will decide whether to abolish the part-time job of city treasurer, a largely ceremonial position paying $1,800. Since the city comptroller already performs some of the treasurer’s duties, aldermen think the post is no longer needed.
Another hotbed of controversy surrounds the issue of whether $14.2 million in bonds should be issued for South Barrington to purchase property commonly known as the Midlands. The 94 acres would be used for housing developments at the corner of Barrington Road and the Northwest Tollway.
Proponents argue it would provide a windfall in property taxes. Others, including the school board, argue the housing would put too much burden on an already overcrowded school system.