Lakewood Village President Phil Stephan, who lost his re-election bid 4-1 on election day, raised $5,250 for his slate of candidates.
Looking at the contributors to the PAC called “A Better Lakewood” one finds the following:
- Oasis on 176 & 47, Inc., Elgin – $500
- Realtor Political Action Committee, Springfield – $1,000
- Icon Building Group, LLC , Algonquin- $500
- Kristen Realty, St. Charles – $950
- Obertech, Inc., Naperville – $900
- Michael Smoron, Lakewood – $500
- Mixed Media, Cary – $300 in-kind contribution for digital billboard advertising
- Unidentified – $600 (combined donations of $150 or less)
The only contributor with whom Lakewood residents will be familiar is Village Attorney Michael Smoren.
One can assume that some or all of the others are related to the gas station planned for the the intersection of Routes 47 and 176.
Strangely, no expenditures are reported before March 31st. the end of the three-month reporting period.
Election results follow:
Money well spent, Smoren.
Didn’t Icon Builders and Obertech, Inc. receive reduced or zero impact / tap on fees from President Purple Nurple?
Michael Smoron – the village attorney from the law firm Zukowski, Rogers, Flood and McArdle… that Smoron?
Smoron say it isn’t so – moron.
Maybe the ARDC or ISBA should be made aware of this.
ZRFM couldn’t have possibly allowed this.
If Smoren=Smoron, no wonder why that place was run like a mob.
But any grade school municipal lawyer would’ve pointed out that campaign donations from an aspiring property developer waiting for tax benefits is quid pro quo in its purest form.
Oh, boy, here come the paddy wagons.
Wouldn’t there be issues with a Village Attorney donating to a Village President’s campaign?
FYI. Michael Smoron also signed Grafton Assessor Al Zielinskis petition for re-election.
If you’re trying to say that businesses contracting with government to work for government cannot donate to politicians in that unit of government, no, there is no such rule.
It happens all the time from township to White House.
I’d favor such a rule at every level, but good luck getting it.
Michael Smoron, Lakewood – $500
This may be legal but it certainly seems unethical and Lakewood folks should have a REAL problem with the attorney who this year racked up historically unprecedented legal fees from Lakewood taxpayers contributing to the official who saw to it that these legal fees were incurred.
Lakewod board should SERIOUSLY consider finding new village counsel ASAP!
Like right after replacing CAO Jean Smith!
Here’s another thought.
$5250/190 votes = $27.63 per vote.
I’m no campaign manager, but I Don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a high cost per vote ratio.
GTLH,
If true, that means Smoron backed the two biggest losers in the last election cycle, this one and the Grafton Assessor.
Yikes, I think I would find a better place to gamble with my money?
He is 0-2 that we know of.
Zuko might not like that?
Do to lack of interest, Lakewood has been cancelled,
Au contraire.
I believe there is more citizen participation in Lakewood than in any other town.
There certainly was a higher voter turnout than anywhere else.
Smoron, uh oh.
That’s all you have to know.
Isn’t that called a legal kickback?
Someone I know at ZRFM said they chose to not represent Lakewood anymore.
Wonder what that means?
GTLH good question, if the Law Firm is still Zukowski, Rogers, Flood and McArdle it is the only constant in Lakewood’s History.
Elected Officials come and go . . .
the problems persist and others creep in.
Smoron?
He’s a fine chap.
If you like shills and excuse boys.
Didn’t Baxter and Woodman pretty much fire the Village of Lakewood?
Graffit, what exactly has the Law Firm done for the Village of Lakewood, for the last 30 years or more, except to send them a bill every month, for what?
Heck the Law Firm stood by when the Trustees purchased the Golf Course and Dick Zukowski was also President of Home State Banks Board of Directors.
Cal – Yes Baxter and Woodman fired the Village of Lakewood.
Most of the Stephan’s campaign signs were on lots purchased from the Village at a discount, empty lots owned by developers that received fee waivers and the questionably renegotiated 176/47 oasis deal.
Appears everyone that donated may have benefited in some way.
Baxter & Woodman is, among other practice areas, a sanitary engineering firm.
They deal with crap all day long.
They fired the Village of Lakewood.
Think about that and let it sink in!
Jason McMahon, you don’t see a problem with a morally bankrupt Village buying lots, golf courses and taking stake in a would be failed Sports Multiplex??
The Village shouldn’t be in commercial businesses or speculating, they should be taking care of their citizens with services and infrastructure.
Let the corporate world take the gamble with business ventures.
They won’t pretend to be Popeye if Popeye quits pretending to be a CEO.
Didn’t Phil get his brand new shiny $80,000 Porsche right around the time the oasis deal went through?
Concerned citizen – very astute and to your point,
Oasis ‘land’, the original 5 acres was appraised at $1 million plus, yet President Purple Nurple, Berman, Eddy, Ulrich and Augustine sold 10 acres for $600,000…
at least that’s what my horse Marengo shared with me.
Stormy, Seems a little off topic and you seem confused about where I stand on the issues.
Please feel free to reach out to Cal for my email address.
Vacant Lots:
I have said many times the Village should not be speculating on land with tax dollars.
Most lots the Village owns were gifted to the Village by developers that simply wanted out.
There is one lot the Village purchased that I do not believe they should.
However, we own it and it can not be unwound.
It is our job to make the best of that decision and also to prevent speculation in the future.
As for 176 /47, I am torn.
I believe Pleasant Valley Road is a dangerous intersection.
People have died.
It should be realigned with 176 for safety reasons.
The Village owning that property is helping facilitate the process.
An additional benefit to Lakewood tax payers would be the new truck stop which would provide tax dollars and possibly some residential property tax relief.
Sportsplex / TIF:
I do realize the 176/47 property purchase was also related to the Sportsplex and TIF.
I do not support TIF’s and, contrary to what has been said, supported a PROPER unwinding.
The unwinding was rushed and now we have Trustee Ryan Berman running around accusing good people of fraud when it is clearly not the case.
ZRFM was paid over $50,000 in TIF related legal funds and wrote the unwinding documents, yet somehow failed to properly guide the Village in the unwinding.
Redtail:
I wasn’t here when Lakewood purchased Redtail.
It is impossible to go back and undo that decision.
Today, we are responsible for protecting this Village asset and making the best of a decision that was made before our time.
The property values of the neighborhoods surrounding Redtail depend on it.
I take issue with the lack of a plan by Stephan and CAO Smith because it puts the entire Village at risk.
KARMA = HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (I find it funny how fast things can change in a year)
PLEASE Cal on the one year anniversary of the incident can you share the video on here (little did LITTLE phil
know that was the end of the road for him)