This week, Tuesday, April 9th, is election day and things have been heating up in some of our local races. Speaking of “heating up”, I love the imagery of this Abraham Lincoln quote:
“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” – Abraham Lincoln
Well, when you put it that way, Abe, I guess I’ll be getting my own behind on down to our precinct to cast a vote tomorrow!
And, since we just moved to the Village in recent years, it’ll be my first time voting in the election for Barrington’s Village President. I’ve been happy to meet both candidates in this year’s contested race.
Incumbent, Karen Darch, an attorney and mother of six, has served as a Village of Barrington elected official since she started working as a Village Trustee in 1995. She was elected as Village President in 2005 and re-elected in 2009.
Mike Kozel is running against Karen as a write-in candidate, saying he wants to lead Barrington in a new direction. Kozel is a small business owner and building contractor who has called this community home since 1978, when he first moved his business, “Carpenter on Call”, to Barrington.
I wanted to get to know a little more about the differences between the candidates, so I posed the same three questions to each of them, asking them to answer each question with only three sentences. I also told each candidate I would publish up to three additional photos of their choosing, giving us a better picture of who they are.
Here’s how they replied…
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Question 1: What do you think is at stake in this election?
Mike Kozel’s Answer:
“The course of redevelopment in Barrington’s downtown district’s future hangs on the ability of leadership to forecast trends along with shifting demographics in today’s environment. We will need to maintain our existing partnerships and increase our reach by forming new alliances to assure the survival of our economic base. At stake is Barrington’s ability to compete in a world that is seeing rapid changes that affect everyday life and we will need to create a business climate where capital is attracted and provides an acceptable return on investment.”
Question 1: What do you think is at stake in this election?
Karen Darch’s Answer:
“Continued momentum in fostering a vibrant community is what’s at stake. Over the last eight years, the Village Board has worked collaboratively and effectively to create a positive and stable environment that has promoted growth in the Village, even at the height of the recession – 111 new businesses have opened here since 2009.”
“Additionally, having inexperienced Village leadership risks the hard-won opportunity to secure maximum mitigation to alleviate negative impacts stemming from CN’s acquisition of the EJ&E rail line, including full funding for a grade separation at Route 14, necessary noise and vibration mitigation, and increased hazmat safety.”
Question 2: What makes you different from your opponent?
Karen Darch’s Answer:
“With eight years under my belt as Village President, another ten years as a Village Trustee, and thirty-two years as an attorney with practice experience in banking and business, I bring a broad range and depth of experience to our community.”
“Over the years, I’ve found that bringing many diverse groups together to achieve a common goal is what defines leadership – whether it’s forging the regional coalition of local elected leaders to advocate for community interests against CN, or advocating for taxpayer and municipal interests as Chair of the 278-member Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, or serving as a PTO President – I know that collaborative leadership is what gets things done. This leadership model has already achieved community-enhancing results here in Barrington, such as the establishment of a Cultural Commission and working with our downtown merchant’s group to create a more vibrant, active and family-friendly Village center with the new annual Art Festival, Summer Cruise Nights, Holiday events, and many other activities.”
Question 2: What makes you different from your opponent?
Mike Kozel’s Answer:
“I will bring a fresh mindset and a clear vision to our village which is unencumbered by the cronyism of the past. I will maintain an ever present vigil on fiscal and social responsibility, I will usher in a government that does not balance a budget on the back of reserves but rather one where revenues are equal to or less than costs and I will develop a clear business plan with a workable time table to move our village redevelopment forward in a timely manner. I will have a village government that is inclusive and invites a variety of opinions to participate in policy and I will bring transparency to all aspects of village government which will help the public understand the decision making process.”
Question 3: Why would you make a great next term Village President for Barrington?
Mike Kozel’s Answer:
“I will bring back the prosperity and pride Barrington residents once enjoyed. I will grow the business pie so that existing enterprises will flourish and thereby encourage new organizations to take root in our town and I will bring back a sense of cooperation in the village that encourages negotiation instead of lawsuits to solve problems that may arise. I will have all village departments be accountable to the public through metrics that measure performance based on accepted standards and I will include current property owners and business owners in our discussion about the best ways to make Barrington a stronger, more competitive, vibrant place to live.”
Question 3: Why would you make a great next term Village President for Barrington?
Karen Darch’s Answer:
“The on the job know-how that comes from producing eight years of balanced budgets, an improved bond rating in tough economic times, successful negotiations of multiple intergovernmental agreements and union contracts, a record of excellent public safety, effective service delivery, and continued infrastructure investment enables me to hit the ground running in the next term. That being said, I am also seasoned enough to know that it takes a team, time, and perseverance to achieve many of our goals.
In a new term as Village President, the collegial relationships and mutual respect I share with leaders at the local, regional, state, and national levels will continue to be an asset for Barrington, whether working to protect our water resources, our long term financial health, or the public safety.”
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Thank you, Karen and Mike, for taking the time to share your thoughts with us here at 365Barrington.com. You’ve summed things up well for voters, as we consider our hopes for the future of Barrington’s Village. CLICK HERE for more information about Karen Darch’s background and, for more on Mike Kozel, visit his campaign website at Barrington2013.com.
To cast your vote tomorrow, drop by your precinct between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Our polling places in the Village of Barrington include Village Hall, Grove Avenue School, Community Church of Barrington and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.
To find out where to go to vote in tomorrow’s election for Barrington Village President, Barrington Community Unit School District 220’s open school board seats or the other contested races in our area, CLICK HERE for the state of Illinois’ polling place resource at Elections.state.il.us.
