Victorious in the April 7 Lisle mayoral race, two-term incumbent Joe Broda effectively protected his position and said he wants to follow through on village initiatives and projects, including the completion of the downtown redevelopment.
Broda said the project should be completed in the next six weeks, with a grand opening soon to follow. The finishing touches to the downtown include a final asphalt coat on the pavement, construction of a median strip and planting of spring flowers.
If you look back over the last eight years, theres been a lot of change,
Broda said.
The $9 million downtown renovation project includes new streets, decorative sidewalks, lighting, benches and landscaping.
The project has received mixed reviews as some have welcomed the change to downtown, while others grumbled they would never see the end of construction, which began in the summer of last year.
Gary John Ledvora, who lost to Broda in the heated battle, said instead of using reserve money from the villages capital fund to pay for downtown redevelopment, the village should concentrate on public safety by buying the police department new vehicles and granting the department more overtime if needed.
In this recession, defer cost if police need overtime, Ledvora said.
But Broda said the downtown changes are necessary.
Lisle has made a name for itself in the last eight years, Broda said. Im just looking forward to continuing that trend.
Close race
Broda won the mayoral race against Ledvora by 233 votes, according to unofficial results reported by the DuPage County Election Commission.
Im very appreciative that I did get re-elected, Broda said. It was a closer margin of victory than it was in previous victories. If you win by one vote, you are a winner.
In the 2005 mayoral election, Broda said he won by about 63 percent of the vote. This year, he won by nearly 53 percent.
Ledvora said he was disappointed with the loss, but said he congratulated Broda on his victory.
Low voter turnout
Both Broda and Ledvora said they were surprised with the low voter turnout for Lisles election.
Of the 13,761 registered voters in Lisle, 3,485 individuals voted in total in the election, and 3,457 voted in the mayoral election. In the 2005 mayoral election, 4,306 voters out of 13,416 registered voters cast ballots, according to the election commission.
I thought it was going to be much higher with whats going on in the village, state and country, Ledvora said. I thought a higher turnout might have helped me.
Broda said he attributes the low voter turnout to several factors, including the fact that the seats for three village trustees and a village clerk were uncontested. He believed fewer voters headed for the polls because seats on the village as well as seats on the Lisle Library District and Lisle Park District boards went unchallenged.
While Broda said he encourages residents to exercise their vote, he said he sees the low voter turnout as a positive sign, indicating that a majority of Lisle residents dont object to the current leadership.
Tightening the belt
In light of tough economic times, Broda said he and the trustees will make sure village staff members are closely monitoring the budget on a monthly basis. He said the board will receive regular budget updates, including sales tax revenue reports.
Including reserve line items and interfund transfers, which move money from operating departments to special revenue and capitol project funds to pay for specific expenses such as insurance and equipment purchases, the projected budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year is expected to be about $70 million, said Kim Schiller, the villages finance director. Schiller said the spending plan is about $30.5 million, which is down from last years $38.5 million spending plan.
Broda said the budget, which is expected to be voted on during the boards meeting Monday, April 20, is balanced but tight.
We cant spend more than we take in, he said. The budget is lean. Things are being cut back. We cut back all salary increases this year for non-union employees.
Governmental transparency
Ledvora said he will continue to have political involvement and plans to be more vocal at village board meetings.
Id like to stay more involved, he said. I think I will be more actively involved.
During his eight years as mayor, Broda said the decisions and actions of the board have opened up government.
Broda also said throughout his mayoral term, Lisle has changed its image by showcasing initiatives like its French Market, which is set to open May 1. Lisle will no longer be known as the village wedged between big cities, he said.
[The board is] not sleeping on the switchwere getting things done, he said. Its always easier for a challenger to promise the world. The incumbent has to get up there and defend what hes done.
By Mary Rakoczy, Triblocal.com reporter
