Newcomer Appears Poised To Join Grayslake Village Board

GRAYSLAKE, IL — Newcomer Laura Dias was tied up in the lead — to the vote — with incumbent Adam R. Shores as of Wednesday morning in Grayslake's Village Board race and looking set to take one of three open seats on the board. That leaves Shawn Vogel and Lalena Magnetta fighting for the last seat, with Vogel in the lead by just 8 votes.

Here is a look at unofficial results as of 11 p.m.:

1. Adam Shores: 1,296 votes, 26.28 percent
2. Laura Dias: 1,296 votes, 26.28 percent
3. Shawn Vogel: 1,166 votes, 23.64 percent
4. Lalena Zoe Magnetta: 1,174 votes, 23.80 percent

All results are unofficial and do not include early votes, vote-by mail tallies or provisional ballot counts, according to the Lake County Clerk's Office. There were nearly twice as many mail-in ballots cast this election compared to the 2019 consolidated election, Todd Govani, Lake County chief deputy county clerk, told Patch Tuesday.

The latest results for the Grayslake Village Board race can be found on the Lake County Clerk's Office website.

Shores, who was first elected to the village board in 2016, and Magnetta, who joined last year, agreed on one thing: The main issue facing Grayslake is the financial burden of property taxes.

Magnetta, a senior training specialist for Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) Academy, says keeping the village's portion of the property tax bill as low as possible and encouraging smart economic development are starting points.

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"By incentivizing businesses to come to Grayslake we provide opportunities to gain revenue for our taxing districts that is not from the property tax-paying resident. Economic growth will also create a demand for existing housing and help push property values up," she wrote in her candidate profile on Patch.com.

Shores, a vice president of state government and political relations for American Property Casualty Insurance Association who has been on the board since 2016, said high property tax bills for Grayslake residents is mainly driven by actions made by state and other taxing bodies. But the village board has been focused on easing that burden, and he's been vocal about the need to freeze the tax levy.

Shores, who sits on the Economic Development Commission and is seeking his fifth term on the village board, says fiscal responsibility is also a key priority. Grayslake is one of only two debt-free municipalities in Illinois, and he wants to see the village continue to maintain a balanced budget.

"Fiscal responsibility isn't just about managing dollars and cents. It's about putting us in a position to make our town the place that people have come to know and love," Shores wrote in his campaign profile.

• Grayslake Village Board Candidates Take Aim At Property Taxes

He pointed to smart investments, such as, adding to the town's green space through the new Gelatin Park; expanding quality of life opportunities, including Grayslake's bike share program; attracting new businesses to offset residential property taxes; and adding to the vibrancy of our downtown through new restaurants that serve as gathering places for residents and attractions for visitors to our town.

"All of these things working in tandem add to our success and strength as a community," he said.

Shores key agenda items if elected would be to focus on expanding development of the Central Range south of downtown.

"Developing this area in a smart, environmentally conscious way will add to our overall growth through job creation and non-residential property tax revenue," he said.

Vogel, who sought his fifth term on the village board, is an engineering manager for hydraulic cartridge systems, Parker Hannifin Corp. Family. The long-term success of Grayslake is most important to him. He is advocating for fiscal responsibility, low operating costs, additional economic development and investment in the community to make that happen.

"When I was elected to the Board in 2005, I quickly realized that the solid foundation I inherited from board members before me needs to be preserved and improved for those board members to succeed me," he said.

Vogel also touted his experience serving on the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency, which is the agency that brings water from Lake Michigan to Grayslake and other communities.

"The agency recently expanded, adding new members, which has the effect of lowering water rates to Grayslake residents," he said. "I have previously served on several transportation committees. I also served on the Grayslake Heritage Center committee, which provided strategic vision for the expansion of services at the museum."

Vogels says he'd like to see Grayslake build upon its sustainability initiatives through its solar energy efforts and expansion of green space.

Dias, the sole newcomer this election, is a teacher, owner of Faver Dias Group LLC, and mother to two young children. She said she could offer a new voice and fresh perspective that would be in line with that of many young families in Grayslake.

She sees recruiting businesses in the exploding green technology industry as a key element to the town's future success.

"I will work to capitalize on our beautiful natural surroundings, like our Lake County neighbors are doing to create an eco-tourism industry," she wrote in her candidate profile. "Let's use our bike path system and charming downtown to connect with other communities and strengthen our eco-tourism sector. This will bring in outside revenue that can help to reduce the burden on Grayslake taxpayers."

She said the town deserves a more transparent and engaged village board, especially during a pandemic.

"I believe the Village should act as a leader in disseminating important information in times of crisis like the pandemic. If elected, I will actively and regularly communicate important information to residents such as how to secure a vaccine appointment or the details of how our small businesses can secure PPP loans," she said.

She's also advocated for a fiscally responsible environmental policy and wants to see solar panels on village-owned buildings.

"This will reduce operational expenditures and reduce our carbon footprint. The Village mows and maintains 514 acres of grass, I propose we switch at some to native plants. This will reduce our mowing and maintenance costs, and improve our rainwater absorption," she said.

Candidates also pointed to the importance of continuing to support Grayslake businesses and residents hit the hardest by the pandemic. Shores said the village has made some smart decisions, including the addition of Grayslake's dine-in restaurant incentive grant program. The reduction in sales taxes, which was provided to local restaurants, has meant $180,000 in cash payments to eligible restaurants.

That amounts to about 30 percent of their 2019 sales taxes to the village, which those businesses could in turn use for mortgage or rent payments, payroll or operating supplies, Shores said.

"In addition, we have also deferred payment of liquor license fees and local business license renewals," he said. "For our hardest hit residents, we have waived late fees and shut-off notices for delinquent water bills to help people who are struggling with the impact of the pandemic."

Magnetta, who served in the Navy for 11 years, said having the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake as a mass vaccination site has been "wonderful" but she'd like to see vaccinations available around the clock. She said once supply is readily available, a rotation in staff throughout the day could make this happen.

"I feel safe assuming the people who want the vaccine will schedule an appointment whenever possible," she said.

Here are the full Patch.com candidate profiles for those running for the Grayslake Village Board:

• Adam Shores.
• Shawn Vogel
• Lalena Zoe Magnetta
• Laura Dias