Dupage Policy Journal

Although incumbent Christopher Pecak won the Lisle village mayoral race, he must work with two opponents, Steve Winz and Sara Sadat, who are members of the Lisle Village Board of Trustees. Observers expect challenges.

“I hope he can unify the board of trustees as much as possible,” said Jim Stramaglia, a Republican resident of Lisle. “It's disparate because Stephen Winz is a trustee. I know Pecak respects trustee Sadat but if history is any guide, they won't be allies because they voted differently on recreational marijuana sales, which was a very significant vote on the direction the village is heading."

The DuPage County Election Division reports that Pecak won 1,565, or 46.6% of the votes, compared to Winz, who garnered 955 votes or 28.45%. Sadat collected 837 or 24.93%.

“I think that Mayor Pecak has done a fine job of attracting economic development to Lisle,” Stramaglia told DuPage Policy Journal. Stramaglia foresees, however, that Pecak won’t be without support. 

Daniel Greco and Thomas Duffy are among the projected winners of trustee seats. The results will be finalized on Tuesday, April 20.

“Mr. Greco is one of his allies who won one of the races, and if Mr. Duffy holds on, I'm sure he'll work with the mayor too for the betterment of Lisle," said Stramaglia, who works for the state of Illinois judicial branch.

Grecco won 1,316 votes, or 15.24%, and Duffy won 1,346, or 15.59%.

Grecco and Pecak are both Lisle First candidates. Tenets of the Lisle First platform include freezing property taxes, open and transparent government, fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets and development to increase the tax base. 

Under Pecak’s first mayoral term, Westside tractor sales company, a mini-mall, and a Tesla dealership were added to Ogden Avenue.

“Schmaltz Deli will replace Chin’s restaurant that has been closed and shuttered since COVID-19,” Stramaglia said in an interview. “I believe Mayor Pecak has been very good for economic development.”

The Daily Herald reported that the Lisle Village Board awarded $85,000 in business development grants to help the Jewish deli relocate from Naperville to Lisle.

While Winz campaigned on a platform of loosening zoning codes, Sadat told the Daily Herald that the village needs to promote itself more and that, as mayor, she hoped to attract more businesses by thinking outside the box. 

“If thinking outside the box is having marijuana sales for recreational use in our village, I am against it and that's what she voted for,” Stramaglia said.

In 2019, the village board voted to ban recreational adult-use cannabis even though state law allows it, according to media reports.

"Mayor Pecak is trying to come up with pro-business, pro-growth policies and he doesn't want to depend on recreational marijuana sales for tax revenue," Stramaglia said.