Alderman Picked For Central Elmhurst Ward

ELMHURST, IL – Brian Belanger is poised to become the new alderman for Elmhurst's central Ward 1.

Mayor Scott Levin has selected Belanger for the position. The City Council plans a vote on his appointment Monday.

Belanger became the lone candidate in the Ward 1 race in the April 1 election with this week's withdrawal of Imran Ali. Ali said he realized he would not have the time to devote to the post, given his personal and professional obligations.

Levin wants Belanger to serve on the City Council's finance committee.

Belanger, an upstate New York native, is a solutions consultant for TransUnion, a Chicago-based credit reporting agency. He started his career at the Chicago Tribune.

A dozen years ago, Belanger and his wife moved to Elmhurst. They have three children – a 2-year-old at Kensington School and first and third graders at Hawthorne Elementary School.

"We have a big goofy dog, and we all like walks around our neighborhood and into town to get treats and to socialize," Belanger said at Sunday's League of Women Voters candidate forum.

In his professional life, Belanger said he sits at the intersection of diverse teams – engineering, sales, clients and product development.

"My goal is to connect these teams and find a universal language and an approach that can get us all to meet our common goals," Belanger said. "This is a value and skill I hope to bring to the Elmhurst City Council."

On the council, he said his main priority will be responsible growth, balancing progress with preservation. He promised to back policies that promote sustainable development, economic diversity and investments in infrastructure.

"Elmhurst is both a small town and a vibrant city, and I love that," he said.

The Ward 1 seat was held by Marti Deuter for a dozen years. But she resigned on New Year's Eve to become state representative for the Elmhurst-based House District 45. As a Democrat, Deuter defeated Republican Dennis Reboletti, Addison Township's supervisor, in the November election.

The other Ward 1 alderman is Jennifer Veremis, who is also the CEO of the local chamber of commerce.

Ward 1 is in central Elmhurst and includes Elmhurst University, Wilder Park, parts of downtown, York High School and the Pick subdivision on the other side of Route 83.