In Cary mayor’s race, incumbent Mark Kownick pulls far ahead of challenger Randy Scott

Cary's mayor of 12 years, Mark Kownick, appears to be on the path toward another term as he polls ahead of challenger and local business owner Randy Scott.

In unofficial results Tuesday night, Kownick had gained about 66% of the vote and nearly double the votes as Scott. Kownick said he feels “confident” that he will remain in the lead once all votes have been counted.

“I think the voters trust my judgment, and the results show that,” he said. “This is a landslide.”

Scott is a former firefighter for the Cary Fire Protection District and is the owner of the ice cream shop Cary Dairy, at 395 Cary Algonquin Road. He first announced his bid to run for Cary mayor in July against Kownick who is nearing to serve his fourth term. Kownick was previously a village trustee before becoming the mayor in 2013.

Kownick’s experience includes being on the boards of the Illinois Municipal League, the McHenry County Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. Kownick’s vision of Cary has led to milestones like getting a new train station, a regional police training facility and updating the downtown area.

His vision of making Cary a home rule community failed after last year’s referendum vote, with 75% of residents voting against it. Village officials aimed to use home rule to implement a 1% retail tax to fund services such as road infrastructure maintenance, plowing, wastewater treatment and public safety.

A major stress point in the village is the future development of the long-shuttered Maplewood school property. Nearby residents have expressed discontent over a high-density apartment complex, and Kownick has promised to hear their concerns as the village moves forward with negotiations with the developer. The mayor has also defended the plan, saying it fits with the nearby train station and downtown businesses and it was identified as a want by residents through past comprehensive plans.

Scott, a newcomer in politics, got involved after a sign dispute between the village and his business, Cary Dairy, led to a lawsuit that is still ongoing. In the lawsuit, the village claims Cary Dairy has a sign that violates the village’s ordinance because it’s 400% larger than the allowed size. The village issued multiple notices and citations totaling to $5,250 in fines over two years and filed legal action in McHenry County court in March 2023.

McHenry County Judge Kevin Costello found that Scott violated the sign ordinance last year. It was a so-called default judgment after Scott “failed to appear” at a hearing, according to court records. The sign is still covered by tarp to this day and payment for the citation is still pending, according to court records.

Scott could not be reached for comment.

Scott has also gotten into legal trouble, with a pending misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer filed against him last year, McHenry County court records show. Scott has pleaded not guilty and is representing himself in the case. The next court date is set for April 10, according to court records.

Scott said the incident leading to the charge occurred on a morning he was due for court for the village’s lawsuit against Cary Dairy. He said he suffered a “medical emergency” that led him to be confused, and that officers mistook his actions for obstruction when they were called to assist him in the medical emergency.

According to court documents, police were called to the home because of an “argument” and “due to Randolph’s [being] aggressive and him not complying with lawful orders he was placed under arrest.”

In a Cary Police report, Scott was believed to be under the influence of alcohol and “slurring.” The report details multiple times Scott was “aggressive” and “hostile” with officers and firefighters.

Cary’s Village Board will see few changes after an uncontested race Tuesday that saw incumbents Duane “Rick” Dudek and Rick Walrath retain their seats, while newcomer David Prusina will take over Jennifer Weinhammer’s seat. Weinhammer revealed at a board meeting last month she had planned to run for mayor but that ultimately fell through. Prusina previously tried for a village board seat in 2023.