The two candidates for Barrington Hills village president on Saturday touted their respective credentials to voters: one, experience within village government, and the other, outside experience that he said would bring a new set of eyes to village hall.
Brian Cecola, a 6-year village trustee and self-employed business owner, and Dennis Kelly, the Barrington Hills Park District board president and local insurance broker, exchanged opinions during a virtual forum co-hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Palatine Area and the Barrington Area Library.
Cecola is endorsed by outgoing Village President Martin McLaughlin, who asked him to run after winning the state House 52nd District race in November. Cecola said during his tenure on the board and as chairman of the public safety and roads and bridges committees, the village has lowered its tax levy and cut spending, while ramping up its road repaving and sealant rejuvenation program.
“I love this community. This is my passion. My motto is ‘I serve,'” Cecola said. “I want to continue on the path the village started eight years ago. It’s a great path and I want to be part of that.”
Read more here.
Related: “Endorsement: Cecola for Barrington Hills village president”
Dennis Kelly yesterday says he wants to look at the past eight years closely and see what’s been done. Seriously? Doesn’t he read his village of Barrington Hills newsletter that just hit my mailbox yesterday? Let’s face facts Kelly and his wife have hosted numerous campaign events for Abboud and his cronies and currently are in a lawsuit suing the village of Barrington Hills over LeCompte’s horse boarder folly. This guy has some Chutzpah.
This is comical: “Kelly, on the park board for the last eight years … said if elected he would emphasize transparency and participation by residents, listening to ‘what they want, not what the government thinks they want.’” When has Kelly while on the park board listened to the wants of BH residents? We know he listens to the wants of the riding community, a good percentage of which are NOT residents of BH or the BH park district. Even the park district’s token gesture towards the Countryside basketball courts was the result of a resident’s independent fundraising efforts, Hoop Dreams, which was her idea, she did all the legwork, and she raised $72,000 to build the court. When has the park district asked the riding community to contribute to the upkeep of the arenas and barn facilities they enjoy on the taxpayers’ dime?
I think both candidates missed opportunities but the biggest gaffe occurred when Kelly stated VBH zoning code was unclear on the issue of boarding of persons in R1 Zoning. A person with a rudimentary understanding of zoning understands that the code is written in the affirmative, that is to say, to provide for uses a property owner can do rather than not do.
In other words, if it is not written in the code as a permitted or special use, you cannot do it. To my knowledge, boarding establishments are nowhere in the code other than reference to maybe a bed & breakfast. The code could not be more clear, you cannot do it.
Cecola, missed an opportunity on the “repeal” question by not jumping on the Anderson II Horse Boarding Amendment which subverted R1 zoning by allowing this business activity to exist in pari passu with R1 residential standards. Cecola should have pointed this out and asked Kelly to assure residents that this malfeasance by Barrington Hills government would not happen again if elected.
Would have liked to see rougher play in the sand box to distinguish these candidates. Nonetheless, my vote is for Cecola not only because he was part of the great success of the current administration but Brian is way too humble when it comes to restoration of VBH roads under his leadership at great savings to VBH taxpayers when compared to the prior administration which Kelly supported. Much more impressive than the maximum annual tax levies by the Park District under Kelly’s watch.