Schielke poised for record twelfth term as mayor of Batavia

With all precincts in, Jeff Schielke is leading to be elected to his twelfth term in office as mayor of Batavia against his challenger Tom Connelly, according to unofficial results.

Results from the Kane County Clerk’s Office record Schielke receiving 2,620 votes to Connelly’s 2,294.

Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham said Tuesday evening that the results will be finalized in the next 15 days, as roughly 16,000 mail-in ballots come in from across the county and are counted.

Connelly, 32, is an former alderman from the Fourth Ward. He currently serves on the Batavia Historic Preservation Commission, and is involved with the Batavia Rotary Club. He is employed as a local attorney.

With a twelfth term in office, Schielke, 75, would remain in a three-way tie for the longest serving mayor or president of a town in Illinois currently in office.

“Mr. Connelly is a very honorable opponent and he probably has a nice political future ahead of him,” Schielke said. “I’ve been in twelve elections now and each one feels different each time. I’m honored to be one of the oldest mayors. The three of us are all close friends and we exchange ideas. I became kind of the watchman for a lot of the newly elected mayors. They sometimes call upon me for advice and ideas. I feel proud that Batavia serves as an example that other elected officials can follow with their towns.”

Schielke said he is prepared to help the city navigate any potential federal funding freezes.

“I’m watching with great interest all the stuff happening in Washington D.C. and Springfield,” Schielke said. “So much of Illinois is dependent on federal state money, and with the uncertainty with how much is coming in, we must plan ahead.”

Schielke said he is excited to continue making progress on improving the city’s infrastructure and livability standards.

“We’re tying to improve several aspects of the city, including remaking the riverbanks throughout the downtown,” Schielke said. “We have been having a lot of people asking questions about opening businesses in both downtown Batavia and out on Randall Road. We also have quite a bit of housing being built in town right now. All the new residents should help some of the stores and restaurants with new customers.”