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JOLIET – Three candidates are vying for a seat on the Joliet Park District Board, but just two spots are available.
Board President Glen Marcum seeks a second four-year term. He’s up against city employee Joe Mutz and retired Joliet police chief Mike Trafton.
Glen Marcum
Marcum, 54, is a lifelong Joliet resident. He attended Joliet Central High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive services. He works at Bertino’s Auto Service.
Marcum said he seeks re-election to carry out what he and other park commissioners started when voters overwhelmingly approved a $19.5 million bond referendum for park facility upgrades in November 2014.
“I want to follow through and make sure the taxpayers’ money is spent well,” Marcum said.
Marcum said he and other park commissioners put a lot of work into surveying residents ahead of the ballot referendum about what upgrades they wanted.
Marcum said finding new ways to entice families and children to get outdoors and use the park’s facilities will be a priority. Maintaining a balanced budget is also key, he said.
Joe Mutz
Mutz, 52, has been an equipment operator for the city of Joliet for 17 years. Before that, he worked in the maintenance department at the Forest Preserve District of Will County. He’s a lifelong Joliet resident and graduate of Joliet West High School.
He said he wants to focus on strengthening park district programs for children with disabilities and senior citizens.
When asked if the park district lacks such programs, Mutz said he didn’t know the specifics, but wanted to strengthen what’s already available.
“I’ve read over the last few months that the state is trying to cut a lot of the special needs stuff out of the state budget,” Mutz said. “My job would be to make sure that’s maintained at the local level.”
Mutz said he believes park facility upgrades are needed, but he doesn’t favor raising taxes to get the job done, referring to the $19 million referendum approved last fall. Scaling back the amount of money slated for future projects would be one of his priorities, he said.
Mike Trafton
Trafton, 51, retired from the Joliet police force two years ago with 28 years experience under his belt, including two years as police chief.
He went to Lincoln-Way High School, earned his bachelor's degree in law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University and went through the Staff and Command law enforcement leadership program from Northwestern University Center for Public Safety.
His time with the police force, overseeing the budget and personnel, makes him qualified for the Park Board, he said.
Trafton said he serves on the Joliet Park District’s Foundation Board and as an ambassador for the ALS Association. He’s also a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a recipient of the Joliet Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award.
“This is way to give back to Joliet,” he said. “I think I would be good at it. The people in this town have been very good to me.”