Longtime Bolingbrook Mayor To Retire July 31

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar announced during the July 14 Village Board Meeting that the meeting on Tuesday will be his last as he is retiring from the office prior to the completion of his term, and will not be seeking re-election. He will retire on July 31, WJOL reported.

Claar told WJOL that he wants to spend more time with his 5-year-old granddaughter who lives in California with her parents Lindsey and Trevor. He said he wants to spend more time with his wife Pat, travelling to see his daughter and her family.

Claar appointed mayor in 1986 to fill a vacancy, while he was still a village trustee. Since then, he has been re-elected every four years. Earlier this month, Will County Board member Jackie Traynere (D-Bolingbrook) announced her plans to run for mayor of Bolingbrook during the April 6, 2021 election.

During the 2017 mayoral election that was rife with accusations of deception, negative campaigning and connections to President Donald Trump, Traynere had conceded to Claar who had won by just 151 votes with over 13,000 votes cast that night.

Village Tustee Michael Carpanzano said in a social media post that a replacement will be selected by the existing board of trustees, and state statute dictates the choice must come from the board.