Three candidates are vying for the remaining two years of a Highland Park City Council term, pitting a council veteran against two political newcomers in the upcoming April election.
The partial-term seat, formerly held by Jeff Hoobler, is currently held by Barisa Bruckman, who was appointed after Hoobler’s resignation. Bruckman is running for a full four-year term in April. City Council incumbent Kim Stone is running against challengers Jon Center and Kevin Cullather for the remaining two years of the vacated term.
Kim Stone
Stone was first elected in 2013, coming from a background in advocacy work, including a decade running a small nonprofit organization. This year, Stone said she chose to run for the two-year seat as opposed to a full four-year seat to give Bruckman the opportunity.
“I think it’s good to have that young, fresh perspective on the council,” she said.
Although Stone said she’d “never say never” to running again, she currently doesn’t intend to run for election after this campaign and if she were to win the two-year seat.
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Stone, a second-generation Highland Park resident, said she wants to “continue the strong work” already being done in the city. She said the city has a balanced budget, exemplary bond rating and fiscal responsibility, enabling investment in the downtown area and infrastructure.
She pointed to her over decade-long track record on the council as her strength over her opponents, both political newcomers. She has the financial management background, environmental expertise and policy knowledge, Stone said.
“My priorities are really to keep us on the path of fiscal stability, and to continue to build the city with an eye to the future,” she said. “I would like to remain on the council for another two years and continue doing this work.”
The city has been refreshing the downtown, Stone said, and working to draw more people to Highland Park with changes to zoning initiated earlier in her tenure to support businesses and residents, changes that take time to manifest.
“We’ve really been intentional in our efforts to draw more people to Highland Park with changes to zoning,” she said.
Stone emphasized her environmental work over the years, including efforts on the state level regarding building codes, serving on the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus EV Readiness Task Force, pushing for solar energy locally and adding composting to trash pickup.
“Highland Park has really been a leader in environmental issues at the state level,” she said.
Kevin Cullather
Cullather was appointed to the Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals in 2017, serving eight years, three of them as the chair. He has also served on Highland Park’s Bird Friendly Task Force.
His professional background is in public affairs, primarily the energy sector, Cullather said, and he was most recently an election communication specialist for the Lake County Clerk’s Office.
Cullather, who moved to Highland Park with his family in 2011, said he viewed the two-year seat as a good opportunity to serve the community, driven to run after seeing the issues of an “outdated comprehensive plan” and the controversy surrounding the city’s liquor license ordinance. If successful, he said he plans to run for a four-year seat after his term ends.
“In a democracy, people need to step forward,” he said. “I don’t believe anybody should go unopposed.”
Cullather criticized the city’s inaction on its comprehensive plan, an issue he also raised during council meetings. The plan is now roughly a quarter-century old and requires reworking to better reflect the city’s direction, he said.
“It’s time for it to be refreshed, to even be looked at. It’s basically sat on the shelf the last 10 years,” Cullather said.
He emphasized economic development and looking into how the council can make Highland Park a destination for the area, including work on the downtown, from supporting restaurants and shops to holding more events to bring in tax revenue.
Cullather emphasized his “fresh perspective” as a relatively new addition to the Highland Park community, compared to his opponents. He said he also lives in a “geographically” and “socio-economically” different area of the city compared to much of the current council, and could bring greater representation to the council.
“Six of the seven council members live east of St. John’s Avenue. I live in Chantilly,” he said.
Cullather also called for term limits after eight years, or two full terms.
While Stone has “done a great job to date,” he said it is “time for fresh voices.” On the other hand, he feels his experience working on the zoning board and in local government gives him the edge over Center, who is “new to this.”
“I’ve seen the trends of what people are doing in their neighborhoods, where there is trouble building a garage,” Cullather said. “Jon hasn’t served on any city boards. I come in with some knowledge of having worked with the government, having testified before the Plan Commission and City Council.”
Jon Center
Center, born and raised in Highland Park, is professionally a certified public accountant, and currently the CEO of a real estate investment company. He hopes to bring that financial expertise to the council.
“It’s a skill set that’s lacking currently, and has been lacking for quite a long time, frankly,” he said.
This is Center’s first foray into politics, although he considers this a positive, bringing a new perspective to local government. He views the two-year seat as a way to get his name out in local politics.
“I understand I’m an unknown commodity to a large portion of the community, although I was born and raised here,” he said. “I really felt it prudent and important to get my name out there.”
Center said he was driven to run in part by his experiences during the 2022 Independence Day parade mass shooting, when he was just, “a block away from the shooter that day with my family.”
“That trauma and seeing all that the community went through led me even further down the path of wanting Highland Park to be the best it’s ever been,” he said.
Center feels he represents a growing demographic within the community — young parents moving back into Highland Park with their families. This change is an “opportunity,” Center said, for Highland Park to, “enhance and elevate.”
“That’s a great catalyst to try to bring some revitalization and vibrancy to the business districts to provide new economic development to help support the demands of those young families,” he said.
He wants to encourage small business and economic development, and make Highland Park a “premier destination” for the area, something he feels the city lacks in comparison to the neighboring suburbs. Some city policies are restrictive and a significant cost burden for businesses, Center said, and he wants to make the city “more business-friendly.”
His financial expertise would go to ensuring, “we are being prudent with taxpayer dollars,” he said, and he proposes creating a finance committee comprised of council members. Center also emphasized public safety and “building a connected community.”
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“Highland Park has immense potential, rich history and vibrant traditions, and I’m running to bring fresh leadership, critical financial expertise and a forward-thinking approach,” he said.
Center feels he and Stone have different visions of Highland Park’s future.
“Kim has made decisions that continue to support Highland Park staying how it is,” he said. “I love and appreciate what Highland Park is, but we have an opportunity and a need to change and drive forward.
And while Cullather has local government experience, Center argued his financial background gives him the edge.
“I don’t believe Kevin has the financial acumen, the business acumen, the expertise and understanding of the economics behind landlord-tenant relationships and public-private partnerships, on the critical elements that are necessary to help drive our community forward from a business perspective,” he said.
Liquor license controversy
All three candidates are vying for a seat only available this year because of the resignation of Hoobler, an incident that sparked a lengthy and heated debate in the community.
Last year, Hoobler was discovered to be in violation of a nearly century-old, rediscovered ordinance prohibiting local officials from holding a liquor license. Efforts to amend the ordinance failed, and Hoobler chose to resign rather than give up his liquor license.
Cullather was critical of the board’s earlier inaction on the liquor license ordinance, which ultimately forced Hoobler to resign from the council.
“The votes of residents were effectively taken away by Jeff Hoobler being forced into a corner and having to resign,” Cullather said.
Center, who was recently endorsed by Hoobler, was also critical of what he considers an unnecessary delay by council members to vote on the issue. With the overwhelming public support the amendment garnered, Center said, “personal opinion is not relevant.”
“Really, my personal opinion on matters should take a back seat to the will of the people,” Center said. “I represent Highland Park people, period.”
Stone feels the liquor license controversy, which was resolved earlier this month when the council unanimously passed an amendment allowing local officials to hold liquor licenses, was a distraction.
“I’m not really sure what all the controversy is really accomplishing, given that I believe the city is moving in the right direction,” Stone said. “There’s a lot to be proud of in terms of what we’ve accomplished,” Stone said.