Mayor's Latest E-Blast Highlights Candidate Forums

Mayor Ron Sandack, in a Wednesday night e-mail message to Downers Grove residents, highlights three upcoming candidates forums and urges voters to "educate yourself about those seeking to serve our community because those we elect will be in a position to help shape its future course."

The mayor referred residents to events scheduled by  "three good local organizations"—the League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge and Lisle; the Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Downers Grove Community Advocates. 

Each of the organizations "have established processes that provide opportunities for residents to learn about the candidates and make well-informed voting decisions," the mayor wrote.

First up is a caucus for Village Council and Park District candidates hosted by the Downers Grove Community Advocates, a local political organization founded in 2004. The group has endorsed candidates in the past three elections; in 2009 it posted audio interviews of candidates on its website. The organization has not responded to e-mails from Patch questioning whether audio from this year's caucus interviews will be made available.

The DGCA caucus will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Fire Station 2, 5420 Main St. It is open to the public.

The Chamber of Commerce will host its candidate event on March 16. The event is open to chamber members only, but a Q-and-A podcast with candidates is planned, according to the mayor's e-mail.

Finally, the local chapter of the League of Women Voters will host a forum at 7 p.m., Wed., March 23 in Council Chambers, Village Hall, 801 Burlington Ave. In a break with previous practice, the village will no longer tape and broadcast the forum. However, the event is open to the public.

In his e-mail, Sandack also reminded residents that early voting runs from March 14 through 31 in advance of Election Day, April 15. Voter registration ends March 8. 

While he will be leaving village government following his November appointment to the state senate, Sandack assured residents "I will remain a very interested and involved resident—hopeful that our village will continue to receive good, responsive government from dedicated, thoughtful and hard-working public servants."

The full text of his e-mail follows, with minor edits to allow it to conform to Patch style: 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

While it may not be on your radar just yet, I am writing to let you know that in just three short weeks we'll have an opportunity to begin voting for the next Village Council and Mayor of Downers Grove.

As you may know, I will not be seeking to continue to serve as your Mayor. I have been grateful to serve the village over the past eight years, including the last four as your mayor.

My service to the community will continue in another environment as a state senator, but my interest in Downers Grove will not lessen in the least. In fact, I will remain a very interested and involved resident—hopeful that our village will continue to receive good, responsive government from dedicated, thoughtful and hard-working public servants.  

Early voting starts on March 14 and goes through (March) 31, and Election Day is April 5—these dates are rapidly approaching. Fortunately, there are three good local organizations seeking to provide educational opportunities so residents can learn about all of the candidates seeking to serve on the next council.

The League of Women Voters, the Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Downers Grove Community Advocates all have established processes that provide opportunities for residents to learn about the candidates and make well-informed voting decisions. 

These organizations typically formulate questions related to local issues and then ask the candidates to prepare answers. In some cases, the questions are posed at open forums where residents can attend and observe. Still other processes offer the questions to each candidate in written form.

The proffered questions and the candidates' responses are then made available for residents to review (some in print, some via podcast). All of these processes are developed so that residents can make informed voting decisions.

I strongly suggest residents avail themselves of these forums, as their schedules permit, because each of these organizations have established forums that are credible and reliable.   

Below is the information for each of the candidate forums:

The Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Coming Soon: podcast question and answers with the candidates
http://www.downersgrove.org
"The Downers Grove Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry serves its community as the premier business resource for its membership by providing and protecting economic opportunity essential to operating and growing a successful enterprise."

The Downers Grove Community Advocates
Candidates Caucus
9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 26
Fire Station #2, 5420 Main St.
http://www.dgcadvocates.net/events.html
"The Downers Grove Community Advocates (DGCA) exists to reach out to the community and to work in a positive effort to preserve the best of our community and to move forward to make it even better working primarily through the election process."

The League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge and Lisle
Candidate Forum
7 p.m., Wed., March 23
Village Hall,  801 Burlington Ave.
http://dgwl.il.lwvnet.org/calendar.html
"The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy."

Again, please take some time over the next several weeks to educate yourself about those seeking to serve our community because those we elect will be in a position to help shape its future course. The organizations above offer opportunities to make informed voting decisions and I commend them for their service. If you can attend a forum, please do so... and take a friend.  Every election provides the community with an opportunity to decide its future course-- and it has been said that elections have consequences. Let's make local electoral decisions based on good information.

 Best regards and Godspeed.

Ron Sandack