Incumbent Highwood Aldermen Set For Fresh 4-Year Terms On City Council

HIGHWOOD, IL — Three incumbent members of the Highwood City Council are set to be sworn in to new terms after fending off a single challenger, according to unofficial results from the Lake County Clerk's Office.

Alds. Mike Fiore, Andy Peterson and Brad Slavin are poised to remain on the board until at least 2027.

Fiore has been an aldermen since 2007, Peterson since 2011 and Slavin since 2013.

The trio of aldermen, which was endorsed by Mayor Charlie Pecaro, pooled resources by campaigning together.

The incumbents touted accomplishments including the outsourcing of the Highwood Fire Department, low property tax hikes and reduced fees for residents, infrastructure investment, improvements to parks and revitalization of blighted or vacant properties around town.

The three sitting councilmembers pledged to continue their business-friendly policies and safeguard the city's "relative affordability."

They faced a challenge from Cindy Hamilton, a former corporate spokesperson who has also worked for a that works to rally Democrats to vote.

Hamilton said she would make sure the library remained strong "without inappropriate pressure and threats from Aldermen," resist commercial development in her Fort Sheridan neighborhood, push the City Council to be more active in reopening the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, according to her answers to a candidate questionnaire.

She also said she would "highlight conflicts of interest that may come up during development decisions, given City Council members’ business and property ownership."

Just over 12 percent of registered Highwood voters participated in the City Council election, according to the preliminary results from the clerk's office, which will not include provisional and late-arriving mail ballots until they are certified on April 20.

Slavin, the president of a local insurance agency, collected the fewest votes of the three incumbents. But, as of Monday, he had a 23-vote lead over Hamilton for the third of three available seats.

Highwood City Council 2023 Unofficial Election Results:

• Andy Peterson — 374 — 28%
• Michael Fiore — 347 — 26%
• Brad Slavin — 310 — 24%
• Cindy Hamilton — 287 — 22%