All Are Running Unopposed
by Alex Brooks
The deadline for candidates to submit petitions to be on the ballot for the Village election has passed, and there are no contested seats. [private]High School music teacher Robert Allen has thrown his hat into the ring in the race for Mayor after incumbent Mayor David Borge announced last month that he does not intend to run for another term. Allen will run unopposed.
Board of Trustees members Robert Ryan and Kevin O’Malley will run for re-election, but incumbent Trustee Ric DiDonato has declined to run for another term on the Board. High School Community Information Officer Brian Bushner is the only candidate to announce his intention to run for DiDonato’s seat, so he will also be running unopposed.
Allen said the decision to run for Mayor was a big one for him. “My wife and I spent a lot of time thinking and talking about it.” The PFOA issue was the primary impetus for getting involved, but as Allen thought more about it, his conception of it evolved to a broader vision of community leadership. “This is a very resilient community that I am proud to be a part of, and I am looking forward to leading.” Allen said he has spent a great deal of time researching the PFOA situation and informing himself about it, so he feels confident that he can lead the Village effectively in its response to the PFOA contamination crisis, but he also wants to help with “a lot of other initiatives that are going on.” Allen said he and his wife are raising four kids in this community and he felt it was important to contribute his abilities to lead it toward a brighter future.
Allen said he plans to spend time going door to door talking to people to see what’s on people’s minds. He said other Mayors before him have spent time on the Village Board before taking on the Mayor’s job, and not having done that he is at a comparative disadvantage. But he said he has learned a lot from talking with current members of the Board of Trustees, and is working at getting up to speed. He said Mayor David Borge has been very cordial and is willing to work with Allen to help him during a transitional period.
When asked why he declined to run again, Ric DiDonato said he has been on the Village Board for 13 years. He said his wife asked him not to run again, and he is honoring her request. He said it is a big time commitment, and he is on three other Boards besides the Village Board, and all of this time spent on civic projects “has taken time away from family things.” He feels after 13 years he should step aside and give others a chance to take the reins of government. He said he supports the people who are running for Village offices. [/private]