Elmhurst City Council unanimously name Scott Levin as interim mayor

As interim mayor of Elmhurst for the next five months, Scott Levin said he sees it as his role to keep the city on its current course.

“I did meet with the city manager and city staff this morning, and as I told them, I think my job is to keep the city on track with the current initiatives,” Levin said Tuesday. “I don’t see that it’s my business to be a champion of any new initiatives other than what we’re already doing at this time.”

Levin, the city’s 5th Ward Alderman, was unanimously named interim mayor by the city council Monday night.

Former Mayor Peter DiCianni resigned as mayor to be sworn in as a DuPage County commissioner Monday, a seat he won in the November election.

Levin will serve the remainder of DiCianni’s term until a new mayor is chosen in the April municipal election. Levin will maintain his aldermanic seat while acting as interim mayor, will continue to vote on council issues, and will continue being alderman when he gives up the interim mayor’s seat.

The three alderman who have announced campaigns for the mayor’s seat in April — Diane Gutenkauf of the 1st Ward, Steve Morley of the 6th Ward and Mark Mulliner of the 7th Ward — declined to be nominated for the interim position before the council held its vote Monday.

During the meeting, Gutenkauf nominated 4th Ward Alderman Stephen Hipskind, who declined, citing family and work obligations.

Levin said the budgetary process will be the most immediate concern. Beyond that, the city is in the process of several ongoing projects that will demand attention.

The city will continue looking at how it wants to implement recommendations from consultants hired last year to research the city’s flooding issues, he said.

Other ongoing projects include the Hahn Street development. The city essentially started over on the project when it let Morningside Group out of its contract to develop the space in March. Morningside’s initial plan to build condos was sidetracked  by the housing implosion and recession. Morningside later came back with proposals for apartments, but the city decided the market had changed and wanted new ideas for the plot. The council is now working on requests for new proposals.

Levin said as interim mayor the city will also continue to look for businesses that want to come to Elmhurst.

Levin, an attorney in Chicago, narrowly lost to DiCianni in the 2009 mayoral race.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “It’s something I’ll always take very seriously. It will be a good experience. And I think I have a good working relationship with all of the other alderman and the city staff, so I think it’ll be a good fit.”

Levin was elected in 2011 to his aldermanic seat, which expires in 2015.