One certainty about the Democratic primary election for Waukegan city treasurer is that the winner need not worry about the general election to start making plans for the job.
Without any candidates in the Republican primary and no independents on the April 1 general election ballot, the winner of the Democratic contest between four-term incumbent John R. Schwab and first-time candidate Gene M. Decker will be Waukegan’s treasurer on May 5.
Voters will choose between Decker and Schwab when they cast their ballots in the Feb. 25 Democratic primary to determine not only their party’s nominee but the city’s treasurer.
A retired podiatrist with a 30-year career practicing medicine, Schwab, 80, was first elected in 2009, two years after his retirement from his profession. He said, if elected, his fifth stint will be his last.
“Everything is running smooth in my office,” he said. “When I started, we were three years behind with our audit, and there were times we were out of money. I changed that. I invested the money until we had to spend it.”
In 2024, Schwab said investments his office made produced $9.4 million in revenue for the city. It was one of the reasons the city was able to keep the property tax levy flat for another year, he said.
As a young man in his early 20s, Decker, 61, said he went to work as a firefighter-paramedic for the Waukegan Fire Department, and retired as a deputy chief 29 years later in 2020. He made the city his home then, and it has remained his residence ever since. He said he is seeking another way to serve.
“I think I can make a difference,” Decker said. “When I was a firefighter, I studied all the costs of an EMS call. I looked at everything, like the cost of running the truck. We got Medicare to pay us the cost of each call.”
Recognizing the role of treasurer does not include developing the city’s budget, Decker said part of his duties as a deputy chief was developing the fire department’s budget. He believes he can make a contribution to the process.
Though the part-time position, which will pay $26,000 a year in the coming term, the treasurer’s office is open 40 hours a week Monday through Friday should members of the public or any city worker have a question. Either the treasurer or the deputy is present.
When revenue arrives at City Hall, Schwab said it is the treasurer’s job to make sure it goes into the proper fund. Once there, until the bills must be paid, the treasurer places the cash in a secure bank account — five depositories are used — earning as much interest as possible.
“You make the most interest you can for the city,” Schwab said. “The money always has to be ready, too,” he added, referring to the need for complete liquidity.
While dealing with the financial portion of the fire department, Decker said he found ways to acquire equipment through grants rather than at the expense of Waukegan’s taxpayers.
“I got grants to purchase two firetrucks with federal funds,” Decker said, referring to grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Before Schwab became treasurer, he said there was no use of credit cards at City Hall. People came with cash or a check to get a vehicle sticker. Builders had to do the same to pay the fee for a building permit. Now credit cards can be used for all transactions either in person or online.
Early voting is already underway. People can vote from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building in Waukegan through Friday, as well as from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Hours expand on Monday.
For those voting on election day Feb. 25, Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega said they can now vote at any polling place, not just their assigned preferred location.
