Generating new revenue for Winfield through commercial development and a better partnership with Central DuPage Hospital are necessary for the village’s prosperity, hopefuls for the Winfield Board of Trustees said.
Eight candidates are seeking three seats in the April 7 election. Two incumbents are running, with one joining two other candidates to form a slate
Seven hopefuls said the village needs to generate new revenue by attracting business development to Roosevelt and St. Charles roads. That money should then be used to bolster the police department, pave roads and support general village services, the candidates agreed.
One immediate obstacle is the possible loss of about $500,000 in state income tax money slated to be returned to the village. Gov. Bruce Rauner has bandied about the idea of withholding those monies to shore up holes in the state’s budget, and if that happens, the candidates said, it would hurt the village’s annual budget of about $5 million.
Trustees Tony Reyes and Jim Hughes are seeking re-election, while Trustee Tim Allen will step down at the end of his term. Reyes, former Trustee Jay Olson and Rob Hanlon are running as a slate. The ballot is rounded out by Robert Greer, Dennis Hogan, Carl Sorgatz and Robert Borsodi.
Seeking his second term on the board, Reyes described Winfield as a “train wreck” because of its inability to provide essential services, such as policing. Reyes said the police force has been reduced by 10 officers.
“Winfield deserves to have excellent police coverage,” said Reyes, who owns a commercial packing business in St. Charles.
Reyes, 61, said the village should assist Central DuPage Hospital, the largest property taxpayer, in expanding. He said divisive elements in the community were contributing factors to the hospital building its proton therapy treatment center in Warrenville. He suggested looking at a downtown TIF district that has not been properly used since its creation almost 10 years ago.
Olson, an engineer, said his message is simple – more business and less taxation. Village leadership needs to bring in new development to be able to provide essential services to residents, he said, adding that his background in business has put him in touch with a network of professionals who could help develop land on Roosevelt and St. Charles roads. He laid out a two-year timeline, instead of the proposed 10 years.
“We need diverse development, and over the years there has been a hesitancy to allow that development,” Olson, 57, said.
Hanlon, the third leg of the slate, agreed on the need to develop Roosevelt Road and to partner with CDH in its need for office space and parking needs. Hanlon, 49, said the next board needs to implement the comprehensive growth plan that was adopted last year to attract sustainable development.
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“We need to create a predictable and stable environment. That will create growth,” said Hanlon, chief information officer at TreeHouse Foods in Oak Brook. “Winfield really has an opportunity to work with the hospital to partner together to create the environment to allow them the expansion they need.”
Hughes, 47, said a possible loss of state income tax money emphasizes the need for the village to develop its own revenue sources though new development.
The comprehensive plan to develop Roosevelt Road should be followed, he said. Hughes, a computer engineer, also cited partnering with CDH, pointing out that the hospital has proven it can build new developments, such as the Ronald McDonald House, in a short time.
“They’re the partner who can help revitalize our town center,” he said.
Greer, 61, a retired pastor, agreed that encouraging commercial development is the best way to generate new funds. He suggests involving a consulting firm to plot the correct course for attracting developers. On village finances, he said some savings is possible internally, but acknowledged staff has been streamlined to the point he doesn’t know what else could be done there.
“Development is the best way to address our funding issues,” Greer said.
An additional issue for Greer is what he sees as the board’s history of secrecy. He would make decision-making more transparent, he said.
Like Greer, Hogan, a former newspaper reporter and Army Corps of Engineers real estate director, said he’s been sickened by transparency violations, although he said the current board has helped move things in a better direction.
Hogan, who served as the chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, said he wants to see “high-quality” development that will generate sustained sales taxes. To work with the hospital’s need for space, Hogan said he would like to see development in Town Center where ground-floor space would be reserved for commercial tenants and the upper floors could be used for the hospital’s parking or office space needs.
As village treasurer for five years, Sorgatz said he has a “good handle” on Winfield’s financial situation – a situation that could turn dire if Gov. Rauner’s withholding plan is adopted.
“That would be a severe hit for us… we have to look at how we’re operating and creating a measure of self sustainability” said Sorgatz, a financial planner by trade.
Like the other candidates, Sorgatz said Winfield needs to move forward with developing Rosevelt and St. Charles roads as well as the village’s Town Center. Sorgatz, 62, said he wants to see a development that attracts businesses that bring in the most sales tax dollars per square foot.
Sorgatz also wants to build a stronger relationship with the hospital to help them with their expansion needs, while finding a reciprocal arrangement with CDH to infuse more tax dollars into the village.
Borsodi did not return calls for comment.
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