UPDATED: DGCA Endorses Neustadt, Durkin, Rheintgen for Village Council

Updated: 11:45 a.m. March 1

The Downers Grove Community Advocates have endorsed incumbents Geoff Neustadt and Sean Durkin and newcomer Becky Rheintgen for Village Council. The group also endorsed newcomer Mark Roman and incumbents Bob Gelwicks Cathy Mahoney and Matt Cushing for the Park Board.

Martin Tully, who is running unopposed for mayor, also won endorsement.

The announcement was made on the group's website this afternoon. Candidates were interviewed and audio taped at a Feb. 26 caucus that was open to the public. 

"The DGCA's decision to endorse these candidates was based on the responses to the questions asked, both written and verbal," according to the website. "Factoring in to the decision was the experience and knowledge DGCA members have of current and historical village issues. It is the policy of the DGCA to endorse for the number of positions available."   

The Advocates, many of whom have served or are serving on various elected and appointed boards, have wielded influence in past elections through their election-year endorsements.

Among the endorsed candidates, not all were present for the public interviews. Park District incumbents Mahoney and Cushing were not present. Incumbent Fred Gusel, who won a DGCA endorsement in 2009, was passed over this year in favor of Roman.

Neustadt posted news of the Village Council endorsements this morning on Facebook. "I am honored and proud to be endorsed by the DGCA, a long-standing community organization with a fair and open process that has traditionally endorsed candidates," he wrote.

The Advocates website states the text of the interview questions and podcasts of the candidates' answers will be available on the site "soon." In 2009, the group posted only answers by endorsed candidates; however Village Council candidate Mark Thoman is asking the group to post all interviews as a public service.

"In light of the Advocates stated mission, I hope you'll join me in requesting that all tapes of candidates who took the time and courage to show up be posted, so residents can see and hear for themselves. That would be a great service to the community," he commented on Neustadt's Facebook post of the endorsements.

Village Council candidates Greg Hose´and John A. Page have echoed that request in comments on Facebook.

"I join Mark's thoughts on releasing the interviews with each candidate," Hose´ wrote. "The public can only benefit by having access to the information."

Page, who was out of town on business during the caucus, submitted written answers to the interview questions. "I'm providing the DGCA with my approval to release my responses unedited as well to provide residents with the ability to make an educated decision on their own," he wrote.

In recent years some candidates have eschewed the DGCA caucus, voicing concerns about the group's endorsement process, which has never been fully explained.

In 2009, Village Council candidate Jim Norris opted out, citing a scheduling conflict and his belief that he had no chance of being endorsed. This year, Village Council candidates Dominic Scalzetti and Michael Maley "declined the DGCA’s invitation to appear before the caucus or to provide information on their positions," according to the Advocates website.

Village Council candidates were asked to answer the following questions, which are paraphrased:

1) What is their favorite thing about Downers Grove, 2) what they would do to ensure that village employees are fairly compensated while ensuring future sustainability, 3) which three social services are most needed in Downers Grove, 4) to rank employee compensation, infrastructure improvements and community development needs from the highest to lowest, 5)  to give a definition of core services and the best way to fund those services, 6) to state their opinion of the Comprehensive Plan now working its way through the Plan Commission and to explain which area of the village is most in need of development and which zoning issues they believe are most important, 7) whether the village should continue to elect council members at large and, if not, the reasons they would offer for changing to a ward system, and 8) how they would improve village communications.

Park District candidates were asked:

1) How they would improve the district's relationships with other governmental bodies, 2) what they see as the most pressing future capital needs, 3) to define Memorandum of Use and to explain the purpose of the agreement and who benefits from it, 4) the status of the Sterling Park stormwater project and how it will be funded, 5) how the Park District should fund its programs and how user fees factor in, 6) how they would address any future expansion of field space,  7) the qualities they would look for in a future Park District administrator and 8) an explanation of the district's policy for land acquisition and their opinion of the policy.

Incumbents Bob Gelwicks and Fred Gusel took issue with the way some of the questions were posed, including the first question, which opened by stating, "The Park District is often criticized for needing to improve intergovernmental cooperation."

Gelwicks also denied the Park District has a policy on land acquisition and objected to the phrasing of the seventh question, which opened with the statement, "With long-time administrator Dan Cermak retiring..."

After the caucus Gelwicks told Patch that, while he is eligible for retirement, Cermak has made no announcement that he is stepping down. While observing that a question about the key qualities of a future administrator was a fair one, Gelwicks expressed concern about the response Cermak and other staffers may have to any statement of his imminent retirement.

"What are we going to tell the staff?"