National Politics At Elmhurst City Meetings?

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin contends his election opponent would probably bring national politics into city matters.

Mark Mulliner, a former longtime alderman, says he would not.

Levin recently took questions during a forum organized by the Elmhurst Progressives for Change.

Four of the five school board candidates were also present in the video conference.

Mulliner and conservative school board candidate Tom Chavez were not invited, organizer Maria Balice said in a text message to Patch.

"I don't have time for that nonsense," she said. "And you can quote me on that."

During the forum, Levin described himself as middle of the road politically.

"Mark is probably a little bit more extreme in terms of his viewpoint and is probably going to be more willing to inject national politics into a municipal forum, which I would not do," the mayor said.

In his campaign, Mulliner maintains local taxes and fees are too high. He opposes the plan to build a new police station, saying he would look to improve the current building.

The city says a new police station would mean a property tax hike of $53 annually for a couple of decades.

In the forum, Levin said he doesn't really believe Mulliner is against a new police station.

"Mark Mulliner has always been for development," the mayor said. "He's always supported the police. You've got to remember, he's not new. He's been on the City Council for 24 of the last 26 years. He was there when we were talking about the police station."

Levin continued, "I think what (Mulliner) is trying to do is differentiate himself by saying he's against it."

All the City Council candidates are for building a new station.

In an email to Patch this week, Mulliner said he has had not had time to listen to the recording of Levin's comments, but he has heard about them.

"You all have followed me when I was an alderman, and you know that I have never brought national politics into City Hall meetings and have always focused on Elmhurst and its residents," Mulliner said. "My campaign is run in the same way as I have focused on Elmhurst. I have a grassroots group of friends from Elmhurst who are helping run my campaign."

He said his campaign donations aren't coming from out-of-towners. The contributions of $10, $100 and $200 are from friends and family, he said.

Mulliner explained why he has always focused on Elmhurst. Long ago, he said he wrote former U.S. Sen. Charles Percy, a moderate Illinois Republican, about what he could do to help him at the federal level.

"To my surprise, he responded and told me that I should focus on my hometown if I wanted to help," Mulliner said. "He said, 'You will have a bigger impact by staying local.' I took him at his word. I focused and continue to focus everything I have on my faith, my family, and my town, Elmhurst."

In 2021, Levin defeated two candidates in the mayoral race. Mulliner finished third.

Two years later, Rex Irby edged past Mulliner with 52 percent of the vote in the aldermanic race in Ward 7, where Mulliner served for 24 years.

Irby said residents asked him to run because of their frustrations with Mulliner's political activities.

In 2022, Mulliner took heat for managing the Facebook page of a newly formed conservative group called Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum, or EPIC. Its members contended critical race theory and Marxism were influencing Elmhurst School District 205's curriculum, calling out teachers by name.

Mulliner, a former District 205 technology official, later left his role as the group's Facebook page administrator.

When he was on the council, Mulliner did not bring national politics to council meetings.

The election is April 1.