Krasula Will Run for Another Term on Village Board

Village Board incumbent Trustee David Krasula said he ran for village board four years ago because he had questions that needed answers.

Four years later, Krasula said that though he's received resolution on certain issues, there are still things he wants to get done, and that's why he is running for reelection alongside Mayor Mary Bossart and Michelle Sewell with the Concerned Citizens Party in the June 21 election.

"There's still stuff that needs to get done," Krasula said of why he's running again. "I am very concerned about the fiscal well being of the village."

Krasula explained that his job as a trustee is to help maintain the viability of the village in the most cost-effective manner. He said the village has spent a significant amount refurbishing village roads and maintaining the village's core services — sanitation, fire and police protection — noting that those are services village government must provide. 

Though he wishes it could provide everything residents wanted, he said balancing the needs and wants of residents is something he's learned during his four years on the board. "My perspective on local government is to provide the needs of the people and try to address some of their wants," he said. "The government can't provide all the wants, but our duty is to meet their needs."

The most pressing village issues must taken care of first, he said, and for him, that is maintaining the fiscal well-being of RVC. "That starts and includes our ongoing labor union contracts," he said. "We have to get a strong handle on costs in this village."

Asked if he thinks the downtown is in poor shape, Krasula said the board is working with the Chamber of Commerce to help spruce it up. He explained that since money from the parks budget for flower plantings was reallocated to the Sandel Senior Center's budget, he's hoping that business owners in the village will "adopt a barrel" of flowers to help beautify the downtown. The flowers would be placed in front of the village business and maintained by the owners, he said.

"I think that kind of joint effort is going to help the appreance of the downtown," he said.

In regards to the village's athletic fields, Krasula said he'd like to see them in better shape, which is why the village hired a landscaping consultant to oversee the fields operations. He said he thinks the consultant, Bob Schenone, can help revive the fields. "He is going to enhance the overall green space in the village," Krasula said of Schenone.

During his four years on the board, Krasula helped negotiate a new garbage contract, as well as a contract agreement with North Shore LIJ for its ambulance services during the daytime.

Residents can vote on June 21 at the recreation center.