3 Competitive Races For Darien City Council: 2023 Election

DARIEN, IL – Two races for the Darien City Council are relatively quiet affairs. The third is not.

In Ward 2, Alderman Lester Vaughan is facing Ralph Stompanato. In Ward 4, Alderman Tom Chlystek is running against Gerry Leganski.

In both contests, the challengers tout their credentials, but also indicate their general support for the city government.

The city has employed the same city administrator, Bryon Vana, for more than two decades. And it has raised its property tax levy just once this century.

The one race where the challenger is critical of the city government is Ward 6's Rachel Lazich, who is facing Alderman Eric Gustafson.

This contest's origins are November's referendum in Center Cass School District 66. Voters narrowly passed a nearly 20 percent increase to the district's part of the property tax bill.

Gustafson spoke out against the measure, saying it would hurt those on fixed incomes, particularly the elderly. That angered many tax hike supporters. They promised an opponent for Gustafson in Tuesday's election.

That opponent is Lazich, who is being funded by a group called Stronger 66. It is also helping three Center Cass candidates.

Last week, the Illinois Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, donated $12,000 to Stronger 66.

Stronger 66 representatives said the union's money won't go to Lazich because she has completed her spending.

In her Patch questionnaire, Lazich said the biggest issue is the city's lack of a clear vision for its future.

"Darien just celebrated its 50-year anniversary. Those founding families, at that time, worked hard to meet the needs of residents moving into the community," Lazich said. "The city laid the groundwork to allow the residents and community to flourish, but a lot has changed in 50 years. It’s important that as we move forward together as a community we address the needs of all current and future residents."

Gustafson said the most pressing issue was the potential loss of tax revenue generated from businesses. He listed examples in his questionnaire in which he said he worked to bring businesses to town.

"The city can do more in (economic development) and I am committed to get landlords to fill the empty spaces in the city," the alderman said.

Lazich and Gustafson both disagreed with the City Council's 2021 approval of an apartment building on Sokol Court. Gustafson voted against it.

"As someone who values open communication and the concerns of our residents, it was disheartening to see the approval for the development despite overwhelming public opposition," Lazich said in her questionnaire. "I understand the need for development and those hard decisions have to be made occasionally, but I cannot align with decisions where ultimately the voice of the community was not heard."

In Wards 2 and 4, Vaughan and Chlystek, who supported the apartments, stuck to their decision. Stompanato agreed.

"I feel the complex aligns with similar developments found in our neighboring cities of Westmont and Downers Grove," Stompanato said in his questionnaire. "The complex is located in an area that already has multifamily dwellings with easy access to highways and amenities."

Leganski did not say whether he backed the apartment building in particular. But he said different forms of housing, including apartments, "afford our city the ability to welcome a vast array of residents to live and provide opportunities to flourish."

Here are the questionnaires from the candidates:

Ward 2

• Lester Vaughan
• Ralph Stompanato

Ward 4

• Tom Chlystek
• Gerry Leganski

Ward 6

• Eric Gustafson
• Rachel Lazich