Schielke retains seat as Batavia mayor

Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke faced opposition for the first time in 13 years and retained his seat with more than 58 percent of the vote Tuesday.

Schielke handily defeated Britta McKenna and Alderman Alan Wolff to keep the seat he's held since 1981.

With all precincts reporting, Schielke had 2,345 votes, according to unofficial totals. McKenna, the Batavia MainStreet Director, had 990 votes and Wolff 643 votes.

It was the first time since at least 1997 that Schielke had faced opposition _ and the first time since he bounced the incumbent mayor in 1981 that there was even opposition on the ballot. In other years, there were write-ins.

Schielke paid tribute Tuesday night to his opponents for the campaigns they ran.

"I think political campaigning and life in Illinois has been kind of dragged to an all-time low," he said, but the "very honorable and open and fair campaigns" run by Wolff and McKenna "showed an example of how politics and government can be."

He attributed his victory to strong support from longtime residents of Batavia. "Hopefully, people know me and understand me," he said.

Wolff believes he would have done better if voter turnout had been higher. Twenty-two percent of eligible voters cast votes.

"It's very disappointing. I'm really almost disgusted at the low turnout," Wolff said, noting voter turnout was almost the same as when Schielke ran unopposed in 2007. "The people of Batavia have to be more involved in what is going on."

It won't keep him from running again in 2013: "As long as I'm still alive and haven't won the lottery, I will run again," Wolff said.

McKenna, too, was disappointed in the turnout, especially considering it was the first contested election in years.

"It is evident that the people that turned out to vote are happy with the way things are," she said.

Schielke said he ran again because he wanted to see certain projects come to fruition, such as recreational and business redevelopment along the riverfront downtown.

There were also two contested aldermanic races in Batavia.

In the 1st Ward, Michael O'Brien defeated Stephen Frank for the seat being vacated by Jodie Wollnik, 336 votes to 176, in unofficial totals. Frank is a former alderman, having been appointed after the death of Norm Hagemann. He lost a bid to retain the seat to Garran Sparks in 2007.

Third Ward Alderman Linnea Miller held on to her post with 296 votes, defeating Kyle Hohmann, who got 213. Joanne Gustafson's name was also on the ballot; she withdrew from the race in mid-March, after the ballot was set.

Heidi Wetzel was unopposed in her bid for clerk. Also running unopposed were Treasurer Gerald Miller; Aldermen Victor Dietz (2nd Ward), Jim Volk (4th Ward), Eldon Frydendall (5th Ward) and Robert Liva (6th Ward); and Dawn Tenuta (7th Ward), replacing Nancy Vance.

The mayoral race was a cordial one, in which the candidates refrained publicly from criticizing each other. McKenna and Wolff advocated opening up the Randall Road business corridor to uses other than stores (which generate sales tax), unlike current city policy. Schielke disagreed, believing that once the recession is over, retail developers will be attracted again to Randall.