McHenry Mayor
I was born and raised in McHenry having attended St. Patrick’s school and McHenry West Campus. I served on the McHenry High School Board of Education from 1983 to 1993, and from 1987 through 1991 as the Board President. I also served as McHenry’s mayor from 1993 to 2001, and Vice-President of the McHenry County Council of Mayors from 1997 to 2001. I am an experienced attorney representing clients throughout McHenry County and Northern Illinois. From my law practice I have gained first hand knowledge of zoning, land development and annexation issues which face McHenry. As mayor I was instrumental in annexing the west side of the Fox River, the major retail development on North 31, doubling the size of Peterson Park and the preservation of the Peterson farm and homestead. During my tenure, business development alone exceeded $100,000,000.00. I have over 20 years of experience serving local government and 34 years as a practicing attorney. As a result I have a unique understanding of government process, the importance of strong leadership and elected representatives who appreciate the impact they have on the day to day lives of their constituents.
My first and highest priority will be the retention of our retail businesses and re-development of the west Route 120 business corridor. McHenry cannot afford to lose another major retailer to any of our neighboring communities. Walmart’s move to Johnsburg costs McHenry over $1,000,000.00 per year in lost sales tax revenue. Within my first 90 days in office I will personally meet with every business owner along the north Route 31 and west Route 120 commercial corridors. I will do everything in my power to ensure that our retail base expands rather than contracts. Every sales tax dollar we collect is one less dollar of real estate tax billed to the property owners of McHenry.
Secondly, within the first month of my term I will ask the City Council to pass a resolution opposing the location of a METRA station and train yard north of Peterson Park. METRA’s proposal to run commuter trains through Peterson Park is in high gear with engineering scheduled to begin this summer. Running eight or more trains through the center of Peterson Park on a daily basis will destroy McHenry’s greatest park and endanger the safety of everyone who uses this facility.
I would support freezing McHenry’s tax levy for the short-term on the condition that McHenry collects sufficient revenue to provide adequate police protection and other vital services we rely upon. I will not enact a freeze, politically grand stand and then raise user and license fees to make up for the lost revenue. Housing and property values will stabilize only when McHenry dedicates itself to the approval of development which benefits all of the city and not just landowners out to make a quick buck.
The city’s decision to pay over 4 million dollars for a fifty year old building and attempt to convert it to a public works garage was a huge and costly mistake. Between the building’s acquisition costs, engineering fees and now a new heating system, McHenry is paying for a decades old structure which was never designed for that use. It is a money pit whose costs will only increase with the age of the building. Near the end of my tenure as mayor, the City commenced the design and development of a comprehensive public works facility to be located just east of city hall. That project was abandoned for the boondoggle behind the Jewel Food Store. The projected cost for a new building, specifically designed for public works, was comparable to the price the city is now paying or an old and decrepit building.
I am running for election because I do not believe the City Council has had any major accomplishments in the last year or several years before that. It has failed to plan or protect the homes and businesses along Routes 31 and 120 although it has known for years that IDOT intends to convert Route 31 to a 5 lane highway in front of St. Mary’s and Montini Middle school. The number of vacant and for sale buildings along west Route 120 grows on a daily basis. As mayor I will do whatever is necessary to redevelop what was once a vital retail corridor in McHenry. The City Council has failed to address METRA’s plans for Peterson Park. This inaction, if continued will haunt McHenry for many decades. These failures cloud any accomplishments of the City Council.
McHenry needs effective leadership, it cannot continue on its current course. As a former mayor, I provided the leadership which made McHenry one of the most vibrant communities in the county during the late 1990\\\'s. I promise “hands on” leadership. As McHenry’s mayor you will always know my position. I will not hide behind “staff recommendations.” I am a proponent of rigorous dialog amongst City Council members. I will not shirk from controversy. I will meet with any constituent and return every phone call. I will take full responsibility for every decision made by the city. As your mayor all my actions will be based solely upon what is best for the city. Together we can make McHenry a great place to live, work and raise our families.
I have served my community as Mayor for the past ten years. I served as Alderman of Ward 3 for four years prior to being elected Mayor. During my first two years as an appointed Mayor, elected by the city council to serve the remainder of Pam Althoff’s term, I continued to serve as Alderman of Ward 3. This unique experience allowed me to gain a great understanding of the role of the Aldermen in addition to my role as Mayor. I have served on many boards and committees over the years and developed strong leadership and communication skills through those experiences.
1>Economic Development. Retaining our current businesses as well as attracting new ones to our community. Maintaining a strong commercial and retail base while continuing to attract and accommodate new business has always been a top priority.
2>Downtown Revitalization. McHenry is unique in that it has three distinct businesses districts in our historic downtown. The Fox River provides a natural connection between the Green Street and Riverside Drive businesses. Our train station is located in the Main Street district. Making our downtown more accessible by boat and making it more pedestrian friendly with our Riverwalk will help us to become a destination. We are the Heart of Fox River.
3>Overall quality of life. By developing strong partnerships with our other taxing bodies, the Chamber of Commerce, our service organizations, and our Veteran’s organizations, there is always something to do in McHenry, either at no cost, or affordable cost to our residents and our guests. Through our Parks and Recreation department we need to continue to expand the recreational opportunities we offer our residents. Coming together in good times has led to an environment of support and concern for each other during bad times. This is what makes us a “community”, not just a town.
Our levy has been frozen for the past three years. We are very cognizant of the burden taxing districts can place on residents by increasing their levy each year. Even though we are now home rule, we continue to follow PTELL guidelines even though we are not required to. Part of our annual review of city finances has to take into consideration the cost of city services and the cost of things that are not within our control. I believe the responsible thing to do is make this decision on an annual basis.
I admire anyone who is willing to serve their community. I also respect the decisions that they are called upon to make. We are elected to represent a constituency and make decisions on their behalf that we feel are in the best interest of our community. That is why there is a process. That is why we are presented with different points of view. While we may not always agree, our council always respects that process and I applaud them for that.
Continued fiscal responsibility. We have maintained a balanced budget. We did not increase our levy. We have utilized partnerships with other taxing bodies, as well as with neighboring communities to maximize our efficiency while maintaining the high level of services that our residents have come to expect. We partner with other entities whenever possible. Because of this we are still able to offer our residents things like weekly band concerts in the park, Fireworks, and holiday decorations that enhance our town.
I love McHenry. I am so proud to serve as Mayor. I am a third generation born and raised resident . I truly care about how we develop as a community. While growth is inevitable, we have managed to maintain the hometown feeling that I have enjoyed in McHenry all of my life. I am a retired Special Education teacher, having taught for 33 years. In the 12 years that I have served on city council I have only missed one council meeting, and that was when I traveled to Florida to accept our first national CALEA accreditation with our police department. I now devote full time to my job as Mayor and I am an active participant in our community. I believe that I have a great understanding of our town and what makes it so desirable to live, work, and play here. If voters re-elect me they will continue to have a full time Mayor.
