Candidates seek change in Island Lake
By JENN WIANT - jwiant@nwherald.com
ISLAND LAKE – Candidates for mayor and trustee in Island Lake are running against one another but have similar goals: to improve the village’s image and change the way the board conducts its business.
Trustees John Ponio and Debbie Herrmann and former Trustee Sally Fleissner will compete to replace Mayor Tom Hyde.
In the trustee race, incumbents Connie Mascillino and Don Verciglio, as well as Gregory Kachka, Donna O’Malley, Laura Rabattini, Dwaine Schaal and David Meeks, will run to fill three board seats.
Candidates for mayor
Ponio is a construction project manager who has been an Island Lake trustee since 2007.
If elected, he would like to update village ordinances so developers and residents have a standard to follow when pursuing permits and project approval, he said. He said he would review the budget line by line to set priorities and eliminate spending waste.
Ponio is running with trustee candidates Schaal, Kachka and Rabattini on the slate For a Better Island Lake. Learn about the candidates at www.4abil.com.
Herrmann owns an insurance business in Island Lake. She is serving her second term on the Village Board and would like to continue some of the good things the village has done, including balancing the budget and avoiding layoffs and service cuts, she said.
If elected mayor, Herrmann said she would focus on enhancing resources for senior citizens. She also would like to start a facilities planning committee made up of village officials and residents to work on prioritizing village capital improvement projects.
Herrmann is running in a slate with trustee candidates Mascillino, O’Malley and Verciglio. For information about the candidates, visit www.rightchoiceforislandlake.com.
Fleissner, a graphic designer, was an Island Lake trustee from 2001 until she resigned in 2005. Now she wants to become mayor to help solve problems that she believes have worsened since she left the board four years ago, she said.
“I think that a firm foot down [would help] to make sure that my fellow board members understand that we are there to serve the people, and that the games and the backroom deals have got to stop,” Fleissner said. She and Ponio cited meetings where some board members did not have information about a particular agenda item, but the vote continued anyway.
“It appears at many votes that a previous discussion has taken place outside the boardroom and a decision has already been made before the formal vote is taken by the clerk ...” Ponio said. “I want to conduct the business of the village during public meetings.”
All three candidates agreed that now was not the time to build a new village hall and police station but that it was something to consider after the economy turned around. Until then, Fleissner recommended setting money aside each year for building maintenance.
Candidates for trustee
Promoting more cooperation between trustees was a top priority for Kachka, Schaal and Rabattini of For a Better Island Lake.
“If we stop fighting with each other, we will be able to move forward and make this village a better place to live,” said Kachka, a retired postal worker.
He advocated forming a committee to look for grants to help pay for a new police department in the future.
Rabattini is a production assistant and project manager. She records Island Lake Village Board meetings on her Web site, www.cbgil.com, and writes an Island Lake blog at villageofislandlake.blogspot.com.
Rabattini said she had specific ideas to improve efficiency and cut costs.
“We need to be bidding for projects and services that we are buying regularly” such as police vehicle repairs, Rabattini said. Bidding will allow the village to seek better prices, she said.
Schaal, a contractor, advocated using local businesses and contractors as much as possible for village projects.
Verciglio, who is retired, has been a trustee since 2007. Like other members of the Right Choice for Island Lake slate, he supported creating a facilities planning committee to identify and prioritize building projects.
Verciglio, Mascillino and O’Malley also supported continuing to operate the village with a balanced budget; enhancing the relationships between businesses, seniors, local organizations, and village officials; protecting environmentally sensitive areas in the village; and seeking high-quality commercial development.
Mascillino is a licensed day care provider who was appointed to the board of trustees in 2008.
O’Malley is a dental technician and business owner in Island Lake. She advocated more teamwork among board members.
“I think that we definitely need a positive attitude and to work together as a board with the people and for the people,” she said.
Meeks could not be reached for comment.
