New Naperville mayor unlikely to trigger dramatic shift
George Pradel, a former police lieutenant known as Officer Friendly, will retire this spring after 20 years as Naperville mayor.
No one has ever served longer as Naperville's mayor, and it's unlikely anyone who has held the post has ever been more popular.
Many say it will be almost impossible to fill Pradel's shoes because of his obvious love for Naperville, his constant presence and cheerleading at endless community events, his friendly demeanor and his dedication to the job.
"I don't think anybody can replace George and his character and his personality," said Darlene Senger, a former city council member who went on to serve in the state House. "He is Mr. Naperville."
But come May 3, he won't be Naperville's mayor any longer. One of the four residents who hope to face the challenge of following Pradel - Steve Chirico, Jim Haselhorst, Doug Krause or Marty Walker - will be in charge instead. Voters will choose which one during the April 7 election.
The new mayor will bring a change in leadership style to Naperville, but observers of the political scene say the city government's strong emphasis on the role of the city manager - in this case, Doug Krieger - will help ease the transition.
"The mayor, while a figurehead and while an important position, truly only has the same voting rights as any city councilman," Naperville business owner Ray Kinney said.
That means the mayor - on his own - can't shake up the city administration or drastically change tax policies or spending priorities. It takes a team, said former council member Grant Wehrli, who recently began serving in the state House as the 41st District representative.
Pradel won't be the face of city government anymore, but Wehrli said the change probably won't be overly obvious.
"I don't think it's going to be as dramatic as some may want to think it will be," Wehrli said. "One person cannot come in and radically change things. It takes five (city council) hands in the air."
Pradel also says he isn't worried about the city taking a sudden turn or veering off the course he has helped set for the past two decades. He called each of the four candidates seeking his seat "high-quality" and said he will be available as the new leader gets his bearings.
"I'm not really concerned," Pradel said about the city's future under a new mayor. "I promised I'm not going to tell people what to do, but I'm going to be there for the transition to ease some of their concerns and utilize all the contacts I've made in 20 years and introduce them to the new mayor."
One thing that could help with consistency and understanding of governmental procedures is if the city elects a current council member as its next mayor, Senger said. Two are in the running: Chirico, who has been on the council since 2011, and Krause, who is by far the council's longest-serving member with 26 years on the panel.
"They're both very skilled but have two different personalities," Senger said.
Even if Naperville's next mayor isn't a council veteran or isn't able to put as much time into the job as Pradel has, Kinney said the city's staff members will keep things running smoothly.
"We've been blessed or cursed over the years with some of our elected officials being uber-involved in the community and with dealings with city hall to the point where they're overstepping what their true responsibilities are," Kinney said.
The council's responsibilities are to set policy and employ the city manager. The mayor's added responsibilities are to lead council meetings and act as the liquor commissioner.
Pradel said he hopes the next leader also will stay true to his word and be a positive presence.
"I want the leaders to have encouragement for others and encouragement for our residents and listen and stand up for causes that we have - whatever it is - and just be friends and a leader in the community," Pradel said. "If you say something, hold to it, don't waver."