Endorsements: Bruno, Clements, Seno, Singer and Warlick for Geneva council

Daily Herald - March 8, 2016 (Trunicated Version)

The Geneva City Council largely operates like a well-run classroom. Aldermen do their homework, speak up and seem to get along.

Voters will elect five aldermen April 4, and incumbents are being challenged in Wards 1 through 4. Ward 5 has newcomers Douglas Warlick and Robert Swanson, one of whom will replace Tom Simonian, who is challenging Mayor Kevin Burns.

As with many governing boards, atop the candidates' priority list are taxes, the budget and development.

Incumbents Mike Bruno (Ward 1), Richard Marks (Ward 2), Mary Seno (Ward 3) and Ron Singer (Ward 4) are being challenged by Michael Olesen, Michael Clements, Becky Hruby and Jeanne McGowan, respectively.

Ward 5: Warlick

Doug Warlick, 60, former president of the Geneva Lions Club and now its "We Serve" Foundation chairman, has "disdain for taxes," and that includes the Places for Eating tax. He says he could bring fiscal responsibility to the board. He's in favor of development, but says the city needs "to proceed in a manner that benefits the city at large and not some finite group."

Swanson, 54, is the former president, treasurer and a board member of the Geneva History Museum. He feels the Places for Eating tax is a reasonable compromise. He says the downtown business district, the continued development of the East Side State Street corridor and the development of the Mill Race Inn site "are critical to the continued success of Geneva."

This is a close call but Warlick gets the edge because of his stringent anti-tax message and his plain-spoken approach.