Crystal Lake, MCC hopefuls discuss priorities
By BRETT ROWLAND - browland@nwherald.com
CRYSTAL LAKE – Eight Crystal Lake City Council candidates and three McHenry County College Board of Trustees candidates discussed a wide range of issues facing the community Thursday night.
At a forum hosted by the McHenry County League of Women Voters, the candidates had an opportunity to discuss matters affecting the city and the college. They also had a chance to speak directly to voters who attended the event in the college conference center.
Three incumbents on the City Council – Ralph M. Dawson, David Goss and Jeffrey T. Thorsen – are hoping to retain their seats in the face of a diverse field of challengers. The challengers are David Bradford, Salvatore Di Benedetto, Carolyn Schofield, Mike Shorten and Kay Stanish. The eight candidates are competing for three open seats on the council.
The candidates made opening and closing statements, but the majority of the time was spent answering questions from the audience.
Audience members asked the candidates to discuss several key issues for the city, including plans for the Vulcan Lake Recreation Area, economic development, downtown parking, sales tax revenue, filling vacant commercial spaces, and the use of incentives to attract businesses to the area. The candidates also were asked to briefly discuss their top objectives in office – and not surprisingly given the economy – many said they were focused on financial matters.
Completing and opening the Vulcan Lakes Recreation Area – a multimillion dollar project that would turn Vulcan Lakes into a picturesque beach – was Goss’s top priority. The incumbent, who has spent 10 years on the City Council, also said he would like to address “serious traffic problems” in the city.
Schofield said her “No. 1 objective would be to promote economic growth in the community.” She said the city needed to find out why businesses were leaving Crystal Lake and to work with businesses to fill retail vacancies.
Shorten said he wanted the city to take a back-to-basics approach and “focus on core obligations.” That would include maintaining and improving vital infrastructure such as roadways, sewer and water systems, public health, police and fire departments, he said.
For Stanish, it’s “fiscal responsibility.” She said it would be wise for the city to review budget constraints and make sure the city was “living within the means of what the current economy demands.”
Thorsen, another incumbent with 10 years on the City Council, would make “representing the citizens of Crystal Lake” his top objective. He added that he had several vital projects that he had been working on that he would like to finish if elected to another term.
Di Benedetto said he would concentrate on business and “filling empty buildings up with stores.” That, he said, also would bring jobs to the area.
Dawson, who has also been on the City Council for 10 years, said the council must continue to make business its principle concern.
“We need to take care of our businesses,” he said.
Bradford said he would like to see Crystal Lake once again become a regional economic powerhouse. He suggested aligning the city with the needs of the business owners and tapping federal stimulus funds.
The forum for the three candidates competing for two seats on the McHenry County College Board of Trustees followed the same format, discussing their goals and answering audience questions. In that race, incumbent Mary Miller is challenged by John Darger and Ronald K. Parrish.
Questions from the audience asked the candidates to discuss college curriculum, the controversial plan to build a 1,500-foot broadcast tower on the main campus, tuition costs, and transparency in governing.
