Six candidates are vying for three trustee seats on the Oswego Village Board in the Feb. 28 Republican primary election.
With six Republican contenders vying for three spots for trustee, a primary is being held.
On the ballot are incumbents James Marter II and Terry Olson and challengers Jason Kapus, Robert Lockwood, Michael Wirtz and Sarah Zameda. Early voting began Jan. 19, according to the Kendall County Clerk’s website.
The top three vote-getters in the Republican primary will face Democratic challengers Karin McCarthy-Lang, Luis Perez and Andrew Torres in the April 4 consolidated election. McCarthy-Lang and Perez previously served on the board.
Trustee Brian Thomas decided not to seek re-election for a second term on the board. He is challenging incumbent Troy Parlier in the Republican primary for Oswego village president. Parlier is seeking his second term in the village’s top job.
The winner will face Democratic candidate and former trustee Ryan Kauffman in the April 4 election for village president.
In the Republican primary for village board, Marter, an IT professional and data analyst, is seeking his second term as a trustee. He has lived in Oswego for about 25 years and attended local schools. He previously served on the Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission from 2013 to 2015.
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“We have been strong advocates for taxpayers and business owners in Oswego. We have been able to keep costs down even while improving services,” Marter said.
“We have not raised any new taxes in the past four years or added new debt,” he said. “Probably one of the biggest things under this financial umbrella is that we were able to refinance some of our bonds last year which will save taxpayers about $1.6 million over the next 10 years. I feel strongly that we have made a significant impact over the long-term financial health of the village of Oswego. That’s one of the main reasons why I want to keep doing this.”
Marter said he originally ran for office to support infrastructure improvements, specifically on Wolf’s Crossing Road. The Wolf’s Crossing at Harvey Road roundabout project is scheduled for completion in the fall.
“We are doing the improvements without adding new debt or raising taxes,” he said. “While it’s been an arduous process, we have been able to get it going. We not only have one area to begin construction in the next few months but we have begun engineering on a second intersection and we have a goal to get one or two at least under construction in the next four years.”
Wolf’s Crossing Road improvements and the financial health of the village are some of his main priorities if re-elected, he said.
“These are things I know that I can make an impact on,” Marter said. “If we keep the financial health going as well as we have and continue it for the next four years it will be a lifeline for people who take over after us.”
Olson, also an incumbent, said there’s a lot the Village Board has yet to accomplish.
It’s important to move some of the major infrastructure projects forward, namely Wolf’s Crossing Road improvements and connecting with Lake Michigan for an alternative water source, he said.
Olson is a retired first responder and owns a construction company that specializes in excavating, demolition and trucking. He also serves on committees for Kendall County’s emergency dispatch center and Oswego Senior and Community Center.
“I see the business aspect with new companies creating new jobs and the need for housing for people coming to Oswego. It’s the right time to build, especially when developers are interested in Oswego,” Olson said.
He said the village board as a whole has strived to keep property taxes down.
“Our current board has reduced taxes and with more businesses coming to town, it reduces the tax burden on property owners,” he said.
Kapus, owner of an Oswego plumbing services company, considers the village’s growth as a positive.
“I want to help make change with sensible growth. There are a lot of new and exciting things happening and I would like to be part of that,” he said.
Kapus will not need an introduction on development in recent years. He was appointed two years ago to the Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission, an advisory board that was created to provide the village president and village trustees with guidance and direction on matters relating to land uses, planning and zoning.
“I do not think Oswego is growing too fast compared to surrounding communities such as Naperville, Aurora and Plano,” he said.
Kapus supports the recent approval of apartment projects in the village.
“Oswego is a desirable community and diversity of living has to be available,” Kapus said. “I do hear the hesitation from other parties who may say Oswego is growing too fast. We all have to accept that change happens, but what we need to do is make sure we create a smart and livable community for all means of incomes.”
Lockwood, Zameda and Wirtz are running as a slate with Thomas.
Aside from continuing to help keep taxes low, Lockwood said he would assess the village’s growth in the last few years.
“It’s awesome that the village is growing, but we need to have the infrastructure catch up before we continue on this path of approving developments,” Lockwood said.
Lockwood is co-owner of a mobile game theater. He’s also worked as a general manager for local establishments, including the former Luigi’s Pizza and Fun Center in Aurora. He said he supports welcoming new businesses into the village.
Zameda, a senior financial analyst, said she “would like to see the development slow down.”
“I know we need a mix of housing but I feel that we are moving at too fast of a pace. I think we should slow down and assess our infrastructure to make sure we are not overburdening our emergency responders, roads and schools with new developments,” she said.
Zameda said the board always needs to look at the future of Oswego.
“I would like the village to be a place where my children will want to raise their children,” she said.
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Wirtz has a background in engineering and is now a director of quality management. The village’s road infrastructure, in particular on Wolf’s Crossing Road, doesn’t seem to match the development that is going in, Wirtz said.
“As someone who has lived in a lot of places where some have done it right and some have not, I felt that Oswego wasn’t learning the lessons of congested inner cities and other places,” Wirtz said.
“With my background in engineering, planning and management, I feel that I can bring something to the table to help the community. Some of the decisions are not as forward-thinking as they should be,” he said.
The village needs to consider all of the factors involved in development, he said.
“We need detailed problem-solvers who are able to dig into the complexities. That’s what I do on a daily basis,” he said.
“If we are going to put in a development, we need to ask if the roads are wide enough and if they are not, we need to ask who is going to pick up the cost and what is the price for not doing it now,” he said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.