Scott Levin, Elmhurst Mayoral Candidate

ELMHURST, IL – Mayor Scott Levin is one of the two candidates for Elmhurst mayor in the April 1 election. The other is Mark Mulliner, a former longtime alderman.

Here are Levin's responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name:

Scott M. Levin

Town of residence:

Elmhurst

Age:

70

Campaign contact email:

levin4mayor@gmail.com

Family:

My wife, Marisa Mancini, and I raised our two children, Joseph and Julia, in Elmhurst. They attended York and both graduated from the University of Illinois.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education:

B.S. Business Administration, University of Illinois; M.A. Public Administration, University of Illinois; J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law; Master of Laws, University of Illinois Chicago

Occupation:

Attorney at Law for 40 years

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

Current Mayor of Elmhurst; Acting Mayor 2012-2013; Alderman 2010-2021

The single most pressing issue facing the city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The city has several pressing capital needs, including maintenance and improvements to our water and sewer systems and a replacement of our police station, which has been thoroughly evaluated. The challenge is meeting the city’s critical capital needs and our residents’ high expectations for city services with available resources. We will continue to use our existing resources in the most efficient ways possible, identify opportunities to lower costs, and diversify revenue sources through economic development.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

This may be the most important question. The other candidate was a long-term alderman until he lost his ward race in 2023. The critical differences between us are experience and qualifications. My experience, which my opponent cannot claim, is that I have served as mayor for nearly four years, acting mayor for six months in 2012-2013, chair of two of the City Council’s four committees, and vice chair of a third. My career as business lawyer, litigator and mediator spans nearly 40 years. I also served as a deputy director of a State agency and acted as its legislative liaison in the General Assembly. I have volunteered in a leadership position or as a pro bono attorney for more than ten Elmhurst community organizations and many others outside of Elmhurst. I have represented businesses outside of Elmhurst on zoning and business matters, and I have successfully fought for the interests of residents and neighborhoods in matters before the Elmhurst City Council. My qualifications include a bachelor's degree in business, a master’s degree in public administration, and two law degrees.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As Elmhurst’s current mayor, I have accomplished the following:

Public Safety
I have made safety a top priority. Our police and fire departments are among the best in the State, and I have ensured both departments have the resources needed to keep us safe, including fully staffing all positions. Elmhurst was recently named the eighth safest suburb in the United States by a personal financial website that analyzed 360 major metropolitan areas. Beyond our public safety departments, to make our streets and neighborhoods safer, I instituted comprehensive neighborhood traffic studies and improvements, and I created a working group of residents to promote safe and accessible biking, walking, running, and mobility for all.

Intergovernmental and Institutional Cooperation
The continued theme of my candidacy is “Working Together for Elmhurst. We have “worked together” to make Elmhurst an even greater community. I have worked diligently to establish excellent relationships with the school and park districts, library, Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst University, the business community, and many community organizations. I was elected by my peers as the current president of the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, of which all 35 DuPage County municipalities are members. I chair its Municipal-County Government Committee. I also meet regularly with all State senators and representatives who serve DuPage County.

Planning
At my urging, the city developed a strategic plan in 2022 with the input of residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to establish the city’s goals and priorities. Later this year, we will complete an updated downtown plan that will provide guidance on improving pedestrian safety, easing traffic congestion, and maximizing the public use of outdoor areas. Other planning initiatives in 2025 include the completion of an update to our zoning ordinance, which was last updated in 1992, and a housing study, which will be conducted by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus at no cost to the city, to provide recommendations to increase available housing options, particularly for seniors.

Public Art
To make Elmhurst a better place to live, I have worked to establish and support the Elmhurst Public Arts Commission, which has made its mark on our town with public art displays in our City Center, including the popular Umbrella Sky display, and in the Spring Road Business District, which featured an Olmec Head sculpture. I am also a lead supporter of the Elmhurst Center for the Performing Arts.

Communication
Modern times demand increased communication. I directed a redesign of the city website, and we have increased our communications staffing and have added or improved several communications tools, including Elmhurst Connect and Elmhurst Alerts. I continue to look at new ways to connect with our residents.

Are the city government's taxes too high, too low or just about right? Explain.

All residents and every elected official would like lower taxes. It is important to understand that approximately 75 percent of the property tax bill is levied by the school district. The City of Elmhurst’s portion of the property tax bill is approximately seven percent. A school district cannot impose other kinds of taxes, such as sales tax, transfer fees, etc. Other than a relatively small amount of grants, property tax is the exclusive source of revenue for a school district.

Each year, the State determines the amount of pension contributions for our police officers and firefighters, and the city is statutorily required to levy a property tax to fund those contributions. In other words, the State dictates the amount of an annual tax increase we are required to levy to pay for police and fire pension contributions. I have been on the City Council since 2010. Since that time, we have maintained a flat tax rate, meaning that if you ignore the state-mandated contributions for police and fire pensions, the City Council has not for all practical purposes increased our property taxes in 15 years. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index increased approximately 25% since 2010.

How do you feel about the downtown apartment and condo development in recent years?

The downtown apartment and condominium developments have been essential for the survival of our downtown businesses and for maintaining vitality of our City Center.

Until June 2011, Elmhurst Hospital was located near downtown. The hospital is the largest employer in Elmhurst, and many visitors go to the hospital. Hundreds of employees and visitors who wanted to shop, eat or drink, would visit our downtown businesses. After the new hospital opened in south Elmhurst, downtown merchants became painfully aware of the fact that the hospital employees and visitors were no longer patronizing their stores, likely because of the new hospital’s proximity to Oak Brook Mall.

Since then, we have added approximately 800 new residential units in downtown Elmhurst, most of which are in four large apartment buildings. The residents of these buildings patronize the nearby stores and restaurants. This has vitalized the downtown, making it more attractive for all Elmhurst residents.

These new buildings are referred to as “transit-oriented development.” The residents of these buildings are generally single or couples without children, including those who have chosen to downsize. Almost none of the children in these developments are school-aged. As a result, these new buildings pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in new property taxes, 75 percent of which funds our school district, while at the same time not impacting the schools with new students.

Some have suggested that these developments have increased traffic in our downtown. One of the features of transit-oriented development is that the residents generally walk to downtown destinations and commute by walking to the train station. A traffic study was done in 2019, prior to the pandemic, which compared downtown traffic with 2009. The study showed that traffic had actually decreased over the 10-year period, although the decrease was statistically insignificant, meaning that traffic was unchanged by the new residential developments.

What is your view of the city's maintenance of its infrastructure?

Elmhurst has done a very good job of maintaining its infrastructure, anticipating when replacements will be needed, and budgeting to meet those needs. For example, we pave a certain number of miles each year so that our streets are always refreshed. Unlike financially challenged municipalities and other suburban areas, our systems are generally in very good condition.

Has the city done a good job in handling stormwater issues?

Elmhurst has done an excellent job managing stormwater, and communities in the Chicago area look to us as the example to follow. Beginning in 2009, extreme storms inundated our neighborhoods, and the stormwater system could not keep pace. We handled the situation just as it should have been done. Before we started any significant projects, we spent four years planning and then proceeded to undertake 10 years of improvements to deal with our stormwater and sanitary sewer problems. Elmhurst spent approximately $45 million to complete 14 projects, reducing or eliminating structural overland flooding to protect over $275 million worth of residential properties by creating approximately 129 acre-feet of new detention storage. The only area not yet addressed is the Spring Road area north of the Prairie Path and south of the Canadian National railroad tracks.

We used to be known as “a town that floods.” We are now known as “the town that figured out how to stop the flooding.”

What is your assessment of the police department's performance?

I have held multiple positions in law enforcement and criminal justice, and I feel qualified to state that our police department is one of the best in the state. That opinion has been confirmed through my interactions with other mayors and police chiefs, and DuPage States Attorney Bob Berlin.

Does the city need a new police station? Why or why not?

Elmhurst absolutely needs a new police station. The city has been aware of the station’s space constraints, system failures, operational limitations, and safety concerns since 2017. The City Council’s Public Affairs and Safety Committee considered multiple options, including combining the police station with a new city hall, remodeling the existing station with an addition, and building a new facility. The committee concluded that the most cost-effective option was to build a new building. The Finance Committee explored options to cover the cost of a new station and identified several sources of revenue. As recommended, the owner of a $500,000 home would pay approximately $50 annually to build a modern police station to serve our community.

We have utilized every available city communication tool to provide residents with information about the serious needs of the existing police station. The police station was the key topic of my letter in the most recent edition of the Front Porch newsletter: https://cms3.revize.com/revize/elmhurst/revize_photo_gallery/125287%20COE-12Pg%20Winter%20NL.pdf.) I spent two thirds of my 2025 State of our City address on the station: – starting at 19:45. The 2018 Elmhurst Police Department Space Needs Analysis is available on our website: https://cms3.revize.com/revize/elmhurst/Document%20Center/News/PD%20Space%20Needs%20Analysis.pdf. Additionally, on November 18, 2024, I introduce a comprehensive set of 9 videos that illustrates the pressing deficiencies in our current police station, providing a detailed look at the infrastructure challenges, safety concerns and operational limitations that prompted the city’s ongoing deliberations about the future of the facility. These videos are accessible on our Police Department website. In addition, there are drone video tours of the Mokena and Woodridge police stations which show what a modern, functional please station offers.

Do you support a property tax increase, in part, to pay for the new station?

As stated in my answer to the previous question, it is imperative that we build a new police station. Traditionally, public facilities are funded with general obligation bonds, which are repaid through property taxes. Our Finance Committee and finance director have thoroughly and creatively addressed how we will finance the new police station, and a minimal property tax increase is included in the committee’s recommendation. It is estimated that the owner of a $500,000 home would pay $53 per year.

What is your view of the city's decision last year to raise water and sewer rates by 28 percent?

As they should be, fee increases are always a last resort. That said, providing clean water and reliable sewer service are fundamental responsibilities of municipalities. In Elmhurst, much of the City’s water and sewer infrastructure, including 184 miles of watermain, is nearing the end of its useful life and needs substantial repairs or replacement.

User fees, not property taxes, cover the capital and operating costs of our water and wastewater systems. Traditionally, the City sets water and sewer rates for a one-year period and periodically performs rate studies to determine that the rates and charges are sufficient to provide for the operating and capital expenditures. There was no rate increase in 2020 due to the pandemic, and increases in 2021 and 2022 were based on a pre-pandemic study.

The study completed in 2023 indicated significant cost increases, which were driven by price inflation, a policy decision to accelerate the pace of watermain and sewer replacements, and the increased scope of necessary capital projects at the wastewater treatment facility.

Our City Council is very sensitive to the charges we pass on to our residents. The rate increase was deemed necessary after the 2023 rate study by an outside consultant and many hours of discussion and analysis by our Finance Committee.

Should the mayor and aldermen take political contributions from city contractors or those with zoning or other matters before the council? Why or why not?

No member of the City Council, including the mayor, should be influenced by contributions and should always act in the best interests of the City. Taking a significant contribution when a zoning or other matter is before the council is not illegal, but clearly improper. The same would be true in accepting a significant contribution from a City contractor. For example, it was clearly improper when my opponent accepted a $5,000 contribution from a neighborhood group when a controversial matter directly impacting that group was pending before his committee. Even though he eventually returned the check, it showed bad judgment to accept it in the first place.

Should the city allow video gambling or recreational marijuana sales in town?

At this time, the answer is clearly “no.” When I ran for mayor in 2021, I talked to hundreds of residents. The opposition to video gaming was uniform and strong. Moreover, the amount of related gaming tax that would come to Elmhurst would be insignificant. The issue of cannabis was less decisive. In 2021, an argument could have been made that permitting cannabis sales might result in significant tax dollars coming to Elmhurst, which would only be one factor. At this point, the cannabis market is nearly saturated. There would be significantly less revenue to a municipality than would have been the case four years ago, and there is now no compelling reason to permit cannabis.

Should the city do anything to make housing more affordable in town? Why or why not?

In the past, the topic of affordable housing referred to low-income, subsidized or public housing. That has since changed, and the topic encompasses different issues and concerns. When I ran for mayor in 2021, I identified the need for and spoke about the issue of affordability on two levels. First, seniors who have raised their families in Elmhurst have few options to downsize and remain in town. I remember when new townhomes were built a few blocks from my home, and I thought they would be a nice option for downsizing. When I learned that the going price for a townhome was $1 million, far more than the value of my house, I realized the town homes were no option at all. On the other end, we have many families, some multigenerational, who would like to see their newly grown-up children moved to Elmhurst, only to find limited affordable options.

In 2022, after being elected, I called for the City Council and department heads to meet and develop a new strategic plan. “Residential Development and Housing Options” was identified as one of the five Strategic Priority Areas for the City of Elmhurst. The Strategic Plan states:

Residents need a place to rest their heads at night and options for starter homes, places to age in place, and everything in between. Residential options and housing choices were a strategic topic on the minds of stakeholders, the council, and the city’s leadership team. For current and potential residents, housing is a critical factor in determining where they wish to live, return to from college, start a family, start/expand a business, and retire. If housing choices are limited, there is a chance new or current residents will not be able to join or stay in the community. As a result, diverse housing types, price points, styles, mixed uses, etc., will be important for Elmhurst to explore as ways to expand and encourage more and varied residential development.

I am proud to say that we have addressed virtually every priority to some extent. On this one, I spoke with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus about its “Homes for a Changing Region” program, which helps municipalities identify solutions to their most pressing housing challenges, create a balanced mix of housing types, and serve the needs of multiple generations of residents and workers. The “Homes” program has selected Elmhurst as a study area for Spring 2025 to provide us with highly targeted technical assistance through a housing needs assessment, discussions with local stakeholders, a panel of housing experts, and a final action plan. “Homes” also utilizes a community survey, which will us identify emerging housing issues and community needs. At the end of the process, the city will receive a report with recommendations for actions and resources to address the identified housing needs.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No. In my 15 years on the City Council, I have missed two meetings.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have been a resident of Elmhurst for 28 years. I raised my children here. I believe Elmhurst offers a great quality of life for residents of all ages. We have a strong industrial business base and have become a retail and restaurant destination. Between the Great Recession and the pandemic, we have faced some challenging times in the last decade. I am committed to serving Elmhurst both through community service and public service. I want to keep Elmhurst a thriving, safe and healthy city. By serving as Mayor, I believe I have helped us do that.