Four vie for 2 Marengo alderman seats
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
MARENGO – One thing all the candidates for Ward 2 in Marengo have in common is their desire to bring new businesses into the community.
Four will face off April 7 for the two Ward 2 spots on Marengo City Council. The races for mayor and aldermen in Wards 1, 3, and 4 are uncontested.
David Bauman is challenging incumbent Carole Bartman for a two-year alderman term, while Corey Brackmann and Lawrence Creamer will face off for the single four-year seat.
Bartman said she was in favor of growth and incentives such as a tax-increment financing district to help attract businesses to Marengo, as well as the proposed transit development.
“I believe if you don’t grow, you’re going to die,” said Bartman, 66. “I believe we need to control it, of course, but we definitely need some growth. We cannot attract the retail and commercial properties to increase our tax base without an increase in our residential population.”
Bartman has been serving on the City Council since she was appointed last May to fill a vacancy. She has been a resident of Marengo for more than 30 years and recently retired from a 25-year position as CEO of First National Bank of Marengo.
“I believe my financial background and management experience will be of assistance to the council,” Bartman said.
David Bauman, 57, is a lifelong resident of Marengo who works for the McHenry County Division of Transportation.
He said he was going off his experience of living in the city so many years in running for the two-year seat.
“I don’t have a lot of background for politics, but I’ve been working construction all my life,” Bauman said. “So I know a bit about building and zoning.”
Bauman agreed that bringing more retailers to Marengo is important for revenue, as well as for increasing jobs in the immediate area.
“All the towns around us, they seem to be developing more with the fast-food restaurants; I’d like to push on that a little bit,” he said. “Other than that, there’s a lot of storefronts that are empty right now in downtown Marengo, and it’d be nice to get that organized and people in them, too.”
Meanwhile, 32-year-old Corey Brackmann – also a lifelong resident – is running for the four-year alderman position. His family owns a local construction company, and he’s served as a trustee for the Marengo Rescue Squad District since 2005.
“Revitalizing downtown would create a much bigger presence and instill pride in the community,” Brackmann said. “I would like to market and attract businesses, and hope to reduce [residents’ commutes] by creating jobs here.”
Despite being the youngest of the Ward 2 candidates, Brackmann said he was versed in the challenges of growth and planned to aggressively pursue transit options.
“I’m going to call myself youthfully energetic,” he said. “I have a desire to bring a fresh approach to improving the quality of life here in Marengo.”
Lawrence Creamer also is competing for the four-year seat. He’s been a Marengo resident for more than two decades and takes a strong stance on development.
“I’m for growth,” said Creamer, 55. “If they don’t want growth, don’t vote for me.”
Creamer, who is a senior manager with FedEx Corp., said he supported incentives that could bring more businesses to Marengo. He also would like to see at least one big-box retailer recruited to help draw in smaller stores for residents to shop locally more often.
“Otherwise, the tax dollars are going to continue to leave our town,” Creamer said. “The homeowner cannot bear the burden anymore. We need to have another revenue stream.”
