Editor’s note: Due to an editing error in the May 7 paper, letter writer Josh Cusack was misidentified. He is a resident of Naperville, not a Naperville Sun employee.
Let’s work together rather than attacking new mayor
Regarding Josh Cusack’s May 7 letter to the editor in the Naperville Sun entitled, “New mayor spread misinformation about his opponent,” I understand that Naperville City Councilman/mayoral candidate Benny White accepted the legal exemption not to pay property taxes because of a military medical disability but that as of 2022, because the value of his property exceeded the state cap for the exemption, he would be paying his full bill like the rest of us.
So, I now know the end of this story has been published. Scott Wehrli won a fair race to be Naperville mayor. How about trying to work together, Mr. Cusack, instead of attacking the winner?
Sandie Lockhart, Naperville
Wehrli couldn’t have known of change in White’s tax status
I have been a Naperville Sun subscriber since the days when it was owned and operated by Harold and Eva White. During those days, they employed reporters and writers who were of high character and dignity. These people investigated facts in detail before they went to print.
In the Letters To The Editor published in the May 7 Naperville Sun, Josh Cusack said Naperville’s new mayor, Scott Wehrli, has a loose tongue with the truth, is only interested in power and greed, and is not a person of dignity and honesty.
Mr. Cusack’s letter’s subject was Benny White, Wehrli’s mayoral opponent in the recent election, who for some years did not pay property taxes because of a state military disability exemption.
Scott Wehrli made this an issue in the mayoral campaign, which many disagreed with. During the period of the campaign, the only information available to the public was for 2021 real estate taxes, with bills that were paid in 2022. The real estate liabilities for 2022, with bills to be paid this year, were not mailed to Naperville residents until after the election.
Thus, prior to the mayoral election and without 2022 real estate tax information available yet, there was no way Wehrli could have known that White would no longer qualify for his real estate tax exemption for 2022 due to his equalized assessed valuation for 2022 exceeding the $250,000 cap.
Mr. Cusack will see Scott Wehrli back up for election again in four years. Scott and his ancestors have been part of Naperville’s fabric for decades, dedicated to our local progress and devoted to honesty and dignity as exemplified in the local businesses run by Wehrlis for years here in Naperville.
Let us again bring back people to the Naperville Sun who investigate in detail prior to going to print, even those who are just writing their opinions in Letters to the Editor!
Steven P. Collins, Naperville
LWV urges council to change board appointment process
Naperville’s municipal boards and commissions may not seem like a very exciting topic, but our 19 boards and commissions are essential to how the city works.
The League of Women Voters of Naperville has conducted a detailed study covering the past two years of the process and has concluded the city’s process for making nominations and appointments to the groups is not sufficiently open and transparent at this time.
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Our league supports:
1. Requiring an application for all appointees to municipal boards and commissions. The application process should be well understood by and accessible to all eligible Naperville residents.
2. A process where members of the council would be able to see applications to municipal boards and commissions.
3. Stakeholders have input in the mayor’s process for making nominations to municipal boards and commissions.
4. Limited public availability of application information.
5. A standardized and well-defined interview process.
Both the study and the position are available at our website, lwvnaperville.org
League of Women Voters of Naperville encourages the Naperville City Council to take steps to improve the openness and transparency of this process. We also encourage Naperville residents to make their thoughts on this issue known to the council.
Becky Simon, Director of Advocacy
League of Women Voters of Naperville
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