Letter to the Editor

Letter: Diane Gutenkauf is My Choice for Mayor

Diane stands up against the City Council's give-aways and no-bid contracts.

I’m voting for Diane on Tuesday, April 9, because she’s the only candidate in the race with the right vision and commitment to Elmhurst. Diane’s served as 1st Ward Alderman for nearly six years and I know she’s ready to tackle the job as mayor. For years I’ve seen the City Council vote through bloated, no-bid contracts that help developers more than the city. I’ve seen the council vote to give away city and taxpayer-owned land at no cost. I’ve seen a lot of tax increases as well. And, I’ve seen Diane stand up to all of that. She’s voted against no-bid contracts because they promote an unfair process. She’s fought to get fair value for land instead of giving it away. And she’s voted to keep property taxes down for all residents. Diane’s …

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Pete

6:31 pm on Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Diane did the correct thing in attending the closed session to represent her ward. Paula Pezza on the other hand took the hands off approach and chose not to attend. If Diane thought there were inappropriate discussions in the closed session she could have pointed this fact out to all those in attendance. Based on Diane's silence and her concern for transparency, we can see that she did not feel …   more ›

Alderman Steve Morley Makes it Official: He's Running for Mayor

Morley cited TIF, electricity aggregation and a flat tax levy as recent city accomplishments in which he takes pride.

Flanked by his family and "Morley for Mayor" signs, 6th Ward Alderman Steve Morley announced to a room of more than 60 people at Wilder Mansion Monday that he is running for mayor. Morley, who has served the 6th Ward since 2007, was introduced by 4th Ward Alderman Kevin York. Nine city aldermen showed up to support Morley, along with elected county and state officials. Elmhurst aldermen not in attendance included Diane Gutenkauf and Paula Pezza (1st Ward), 3rd Ward Alderman Michael Bram, and 7th Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner, who announced his own run for mayor in August. Morley pointed to his deep roots in Elmhurst. "I was born and raised in Elmhurst, attended Elmhurst schools, I'm a graduate of York High School," he said, adding that his …

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DuPage Mayor Holding Firm on Keeping Two Elected Positions

Regardless of referendum results that show DuPage residents strongly opposed to dual elected duty, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso is pushing ahead with his intention to hold two positions.

At one time, Elmhurst Mayor Peter DiCianni and Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso had more in common than just being leaders of their communities: They both planned to keep their mayoral jobs if elected to DuPage County Board. Grasso now stands alone in that regard. He said he does not plan on stepping down as mayor of Burr Ridge if his DuPage County Board victory Tuesday night becomes official, even after DuPage voters showed via an advisory referendum they overwhelmingly oppose the idea of politicians holding multiple elected offices at the same time. Results of a similar but binding referendum on the city of Elmhurst ballot showed residents here also strongly oppose dual elected duty. Elmhurst Mayor Peter DiCianni appears to have won his …

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Elmhurst Alderman Announces He's Running for Mayor

There has been speculation for months, but Alderman Mark Mulliner confirmed Thursday he is "taking the quantum leap."

Seventh Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner says changes need to be made in Elmhurst's leadership to get the city back on track.  He's got some ideas on how the city can spur economic development without adding any more more tax increment financing districts, share resources with other local entities and better perform its "core and fundamental functions" to keep property values up. The time is right, he said Thursday, to throw his hat into the ring in the race for mayor. The Consolidated Election is April 9, 2013. Mulliner said it's time to capitalize on opportunities facing Elmhurst. "We've had some major changes. Every one of our leaders on the administrative side has changed," he said, referring to Elmhurst's new city manager, park director, …

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DuPage Debate About Mayor Serving on County Board Could Have Implications in Cook

Two Cook commissioners serve as elected leaders in their communities.