The Election Is Over ~ It’s Time To Move On!
Posted by Bill Sarto on March 30, 2009
Carpentersville - This is the last week before the April 7, 2009, Consolidated Election. I want to begin by saying I’ve enjoyed my time as your Village President. Win or Lose on April 7th that will never change. It has been my unique honor to have served my community for these past four years. It’s a rare honor to have the opportunity to serve in public office and I want to thank the people of Carpentersville for this distinct privilege.
Most politicians wait until after the election to say thank you to the people they have worked with and to the voters. I feel it’s more appropriate to say Thank You now. I often read those thank you letters written by the winning and losing candidates after the election. Those letters have always struck me as being a bit too late. This is especially true of those who currently serve in public office. The time to say thank you to your colleagues and supporters is before the votes have been cast. Before the results have been finalized. Before there is a declared winner or loser.
No public official owns an elective office. Many have sat at my desk before me and many will follow me in that position. We are elected to serve the public’s best interest. I’m confident in saying that has been my only goal since taking the oath of office on May 3, 2005. I came into office to help improve Carpentersville and I feel that I’ve succeeded in doing that. What you can expect from me, up until my last day at my desk, whether that be later this year or some time in the future, is a full days work and a sincere effort to move our Village ahead. We are making progress.
We now have a Capital Improvement Program underway that has repaved streets and replaced sidewalks. We have added new street lighting and new water mains and storm water sewers. We’ve rebuilt the Main Street Bridge. We’ve added necessary staff.
We have purchased new equipment to mill and resurface nearly 20 miles of streets in the past three years. We have been playing catch up for many years of neglect that have occurred over the past 30 to 40 years.
We have reduced crime by 24.2% in just the past year. Our police have taken down the heads of one of the most dangerous gangs in Carpentersville. We were recently notified by Congressman, Bill Foster that we will also be receiving $400,000 to help combat gang crime. Crime has been on the decrease over the past three years. I’m very proud of our staff. They have been doing an excellent job of finding solutions to problems in the Village.
We have also added new businesses and we will soon see a new Tractor Supply Company Store open where Big Lot’s formerly was located at the shopping center on Rt. 25. Those not familiar with Tractor Supply Outlets, they are somewhat like Farm & Fleet Stores. We have much more planned for that area of Carpentersville.
We created a Comprehensive Plan that will take us well into the future. We adopted new design standards. We’ve updated our codes. We have achieved much in these past four years.
We have added an Engineering Department. When I was elected we had no engineer. We had no Economic Development staff person we had no Village Planner. Now we have all of those vital positions filled. We are saving money on outside consultants by having our own in-house engineers doing the bulk of the work. All of this is new in the past four years.
[I] and I hate to use that word, but sometimes it’s appropriate to do so, have helped to secure over $800,000.00 for our Village in the past month to fix streets and neighborhoods and to fight gang crime. Once again I must use the word [I] when reporting that I received a call last Friday from Mark D. VanKerkhoff from Kane County asking me if I would be willing to serve on a five member committee to dole out the Neighborhood Stabilization Funds. These funds are from the Federal government and would go toward rehabbing some foreclosed homes and in some extreme cases demolishing houses that are beyond the point of saving. Having me serve on this committee would be a real benefit to Carpentersville. I was recommended to be asked to be a member of this committee by the Kane County Board Chairman, Karen McConnaughay.
Today, our Village Manager, Craig Anderson and our Economic Development Coordinator, Janice Murphy and myself met with our State Representative Keith Farnham to discuss what improvements can be made on Rt. 25. We have applied for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Project (ITEP) grant that would help us make some major improvements along Rt. 25. It was a very good meeting.
We have much left to do to get this Village where it ought to be. That’s why I decided to run for another term. I do have the experience and the know how to get things done. I also have the political associations to benefit our Village. I’m currently a member of the Kane County Community Development Block Grant Commission. By my involvement on this important commission, we were able to secure additional funding for street projects for this year and next. The total amount Carpentersville received was 25% of the total funding allocated by the CDBG for this year.
Once again, no matter how this election turns out next Tuesday, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity of serving the Village of Carpentersville. With my most heartfelt thanks, I remain…
Sincerely,
Bill Sarto – President
Sarto the only real choice for President « Carpentersville Action Network said
[...] [Update - 7:50am - Bill Sarto has a posting at his blog that explains more about the good things and progress he has made for the Village. Read it by going to About Carpentersville.] [...]
Centurion said
Thank You Mr. Sarto for all you have done!!! I only hope that today we will see the recongintion of the efforts you have made to help our community. Thanks again and good luck to all of us. With this election we have the chance to continue to see progress or we will regress into the past bad government that has been so prevelant for many years before you came on the scene. We can only get out there and vote to keep Sarto in office and elect the slate of Trustees he supports to turn this Board and Village around!
Alan A. said
I would like to thank you Mr. Sarto for fighting for us, the people of carpentersville. Unfortunately I woke up to the news that the election was lost. I really don’t see why my fellow citizens have chosen to go back to our old corrupt form of government. Can they not see the improvements, achievements, and benefits that our village has seen since you took office? Apparently yesterday everyone forgot that our past governments had negated not only our infrastructure and development but the people of carpentersville as well. Yesterday was our chance to keep going in the right direction to a bright future, and now I personally feel that path has been obscured by many clouds. Whenever the new president takes office, it MUST be our duty as citizens to question, hold him accountable, and make sure he HEARS the opinions of all in this village, no matter if you are a minority or majority and without discriminating or intimidating anyone in our village. Mr. Sarto has been diverse and has not only listened to us, the constituants, he has done his best to make Carpentersville an example for other communities to follow. I personally will make sure that I attend village meetings as often as possible because I care for the future and well being of carpentersville as much as my fellow bloggers here. Again, thank you Mr. Sarto for four hard worked years in office in which you STOOD up for what was right and did not fall into the games of the corrupt political machine. Thank you.
Citizen in mourning said
Thank you Mr. Sarto for your service to our village. Unfortunately, too many people ignore the need to vote and, consequently, lose seats to the uninformed and unqualified. One only had to open ones eyes to see that the board, as it was constituted, was unwilling to see you succeed.
Instead, we have a new president who was unwilling to stand up and be counted as evidence by his refusal to second a motion put on the floor even though he could still vote against the measure. It would have meant, though, that he would have had to publicly state his position. Two other significant incidents come to mind. At one time he stated the sculpture in front of the village hall was not becoming and we (the village) should not buy it. When you, Mr. Sarto, offered to donate the sculpture, he was all overjoyed that it would be great. Now it was good enough. The other incident involved the lobbyist employed by the village. Mr. Ritter stated his opposition to continuing the relationship (I happened to agree with him) until said firm agreed to serve at no charge if they were unable to secure funding. That changed his mind. How wonderful. We could get them cheap if they didn’t do anything. Two examples of if it’s cheap enough, it’s good enough for Carpentersville. I suspect that will continue to be the case.
Unlike the board’s relationship with you, I sincerely hope I’m wrong and the new board faces the task honestly with an eye to moving forward in the interests of the citizens, not just in their own best interests. We’ll see!
Ken Elsey said
Bill, thank you for serving, and I hope continuing to serve in unofficial capacities, our village. I agree with citizen in hoping the newly elected board and president will look beyond selfish desires and look at the needs of our village. To continue on in rebuilding our infrastructures, bringing commerce, and reducing crime. My greatest fear continues to wonder if corruption is going to return to our village hall and reenter the board meetings again.
So what are you going to do now Bill? Are you going to remain active in the village or township? Will you keep a blog for all the concerned citizens of our village? I hope so. Happy Easter, KEN
Bill Sarto said
Ken Elsey-
I will continue to do just what I have been doing, only in the more important role of Citizen.
My life has been devoted to public service. That will not change when I leave office. My 31+ years in state government taught me a lot about how government works best.
My first involvement with our Village government was as a Citizen. I recognized a threat to our neighborhood and rallied my neighbors to take up the fight to stop a very bad plan to build 176 townhouses only a matter of several yards from the Village’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. We STOPPED those townhouses.
A Citizen holds the most important postion in government. Our government is set up to protect the rights of us citizens. It’s a citizen run government. Those who hold public office may sometimes get the wrong idea that they hold the power, but the real power is with the people.
So, I will contiune the fight for what is best for Carpentersville. I will hold our elected officials accountable for their actions or lack of actions. They will know I am here and I will be watching.
As an elected official sometimes I was hampered from doing and saying things that needed to be said and done. I will soon be FREE to act on those things I couldn’t say or do as the President of Carpentersville.
Yes, my blog will continue.