The northwest suburb of Arlington Heights has been thrust into the spotlight as the potential new home of the Chicago Bears. Debates over the 326 acres that formerly housed Arlington International Racecourse — which the Bears now own and could become the site of a new stadium and entertainment district — have residents debating how the village should navigate NFL negotiations.
At this critical moment, three mayoral candidates are vying for the top job in the village.
Jim Tinaglia, 59, is a village trustee, an architect and a business owner. Tom Schwingbeck, 66, is also a village trustee and business owner, with an engineering and manufacturing background. Jon Ridler, 57, heads the local chamber of commerce and several other chambers nearby.
Arlington Heights is one of the biggest municipalities in the state, and is home to a well-educated and relatively affluent constituency. The next mayor will need to work well with others while also representing the best interests of village residents, balancing the existing demands of running a popular suburb while preparing for the possibility of exponential growth if a deal with the Bears goes through. Tinaglia has the blessing of Mayor Tom Hayes, who is not running for reelection.
Ridler is positioning himself as a new kind of mayoral candidate. “We have been on our heels and status quo for too long,” he said. “I am proactive and collaborative.” Schwingbeck says he’ll bring a different kind of leadership as well, and told the editorial board he’s “used to dealing with people, customers and negotiations.” We appreciate these sentiments.
When it comes to the Bears, nothing is a given, but the old Arlington Park campus is an easy sell, with plenty of acreage to develop, an existing Metra station and easy access to I-90. Village officials have said the team will soon submit traffic and financial studies, indicating they remain very interested, to say the least, in the site. While the city of Chicago is actively working to keep the team downtown, Arlington Heights could have an advantage, especially if voters elect village leadership that is easier to work with than the Johnson administration.
Regardless of what happens with the Bears, Arlington Heights is an expensive place to live and is only becoming a more popular and competitive real estate market. Arlington Heights has seen positive developments in the past decade, serving as a pioneer among Chicago suburbs for al fresco dining and focusing on attracting high-quality restaurants, entertainment and boutiques to encourage economic activity downtown. It’s a very nice place to live. But that desirability comes with a high price tag.
Median home prices have grown fast in this part of Chicagoland, and property taxes are no joke, meaning the people who can afford to live here are, for the most part, pretty well off. As the candidates pointed out in a Tribune Editorial Board meeting last week, however, soaring prices have made it difficult for longtime residents and newcomers alike to plant roots. All three candidates seem genuinely concerned with affordability. Tinaglia offered a thoughtful solution: Reforming the village’s zoning rules to permit smaller lots and developments. We like that, and have called for similar reforms on this page.
We say what the village needs in its next mayor is a commonsense, knowledgeable person who can unite people and will put the village first. As the head of a local business group, Ridler has been plagued with concerns over conflicts of interest should he become mayor, which we share. Opponents have accused Tinaglia of similar conflicts, given he has done architecture work in the village, but as trustee he maintained that he has recused himself when the situation called for it.
We commend all the candidates for running a mature and respectful race, which certainly has not been the case in all suburbs. This reflects well upon the village. We like that all three candidates are committed to good fiscal stewardship, as taxes and the threat of hikes are leading issues for suburbanites.
That said, we believe that Tinaglia sets himself apart.
Having lived in the village since he was a boy, he has the pulse of what people in the village think and care about. When it comes to the Bears, Tinaglia’s emphasis on practicing patience until the deal works for both sides is a measured approach that should instill confidence in Arlington Heights voters. While many in the northwest suburbs hope the Bears choose to call Arlington Heights home someday soon, Tinaglia’s commitment to making sure the deal does right by village residents is the kind of principled approach we believe this task requires.
Tinaglia is endorsed.
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