Sparks fly at Geneva mayoral rematch of Burns vs. Simonian

GENEVA – A rematch of incumbent Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and challenger former alderman Tom Simonian in the April 6 consolidated election had the two candidates at odds in a Zoom endorsement interview on Tuesday.

Simonian, who lost to Burns in 2017 said he was “running on a lot of the same issues I was running on four years ago.”

“It’s time for change,” Simonian said. “The job of a mayor is a job of a lifetime, not for a lifetime. Although the mayor has done a marvelous job his first couple terms, I believe that now it’s time for change. And it’s time for new perspective. … I think it would be nice for the mayor to hand off and let the next set of ideas take Geneva into the future.”

Burns, who is seeking his sixth term, said he has been mayor for 20 years.

“It’s not a job of a lifetime. In fact it’s a part-time job with a four-year contract,” Burns said.

“And as long as I believe – and I do, firmly and proudly – that I am delivering quality services at quality prices, $11 an hour, I want to continue to do the very good work I believe that I have done in collaboration with our council, our community our professional staff, those who visit Geneva,” Burns said. “There is energy delivered by working with people on addressing issues - even when those issues are difficult.”

Geneva progress

Simonian said it is not just the city’s mayor who makes Geneva what it is, but “150 years of previous mayors, residents, city council members, etc., who have gotten Geneva to where it is today.”

Burns agreed that it was not “just the mayor” who created the community.

“In fact, the history of our community is that of collaboration with our citizens, our business owners and our guests,” Burns said. “That collaboration results in a strategic plan that is adopted by the City Council and is used as a guide to advance the community. Unfortunately, Tom, I think, forgets that. What has not changed in the last four years is Tom’s ideas, respectfully.”

City budget, spending

Burns said since 2017, the city reduced its property tax burden by 25%, lowering its portion of the property tax bills to 6% from 8%.

In the past four years, the city has maintained city services, reliable government, enhanced stewardship, economic development and quality of life, Burns said.

“All of that is rooted in the pillars of the Strategic Plan,” Burns said. “So, to assume that either a mayor or a city council somehow engineers how a community operates is a fallacy. A community operates based on the engagement of its citizens and business owners in development of the Strategic Plan. I abide by and I have strong fidelity to the 2025 Strategic Plan as the nearly 500-plus citizens helped craft.”

Simonian countered that if you asked 10 people or 100 people in Geneva if their taxes have gone down 25%, “they’re going to tell you probably no, because I know mine have not gone down 25%.”

Simonian said the city’s budget went from $60 million to $108 million in 10 years but the population went down; its basic charges for utilities have gone up 30% to 40%; usable charges went up 14% to 18% in the last three years; employees’ pay and benefits increased; and costs of running the city increasing.

Simonian said if there’s less taxes being paid, the cost is made up elsewhere.

But Burns countered: “If your tax burden for the city’s portion of the tax bill is 8%, and it drops to 6%, that’s a 25% reduction in the city’s portion of your tax bill.”

“That is factual,” Burns said. “That’s simple math.”

Burns said the city’s electric utility rates and water rates have not increased and benefit costs for employees have not increased, either.

Burns also corrected Simonian that the city’s budget is $102 million, not $108 million.

The budget includes grants received for public improvements – which have to be shown as income. The city received grants for the wastewater treatment facility and the reconstruction of East State Street, Burns said.

“So if you look at just the budget in terms of numbers, you’re not looking at the entire picture,” Burns said.

Saying he has a finance degree, Simonian insisted that it was impossible to reduce income in one area without increasing it somewhere else – such as the .5 city sales tax.

Burns said the .5% sales tax increase voters approved in 2018 was for infrastructure improvements, “have at it and good luck,” if Simonian was recommending that it be eliminated.

“What is old is new again,” Burns said. “Mr. Simonian sees the cost of everything but the value of nothing.”

Aldermanic endorsements

Though Geneva has a tradition of aldermen not endorsing mayoral candidates, Simonian had several endorsements in 2017 when he lost to Burns.

That has not changed for this election, Simonian said.

“I still have a number of current and ex-aldermen who endorse me and support me, the same as 2017 and now 2021. They did not change their support or endorsement for me.”

Burns said he has never asked for an aldermen’s endorsement, and “I never will ask for an alderman’s endorsement,” because to do so is “a divisive policy.”

“If Mr. Simonian is claiming that there are council members currently endorsing him – that’s fine and congratulations. But to also then say that the city of Geneva is run poorly – financially or otherwise – you are indicting those very aldermen who – allegedly – are endorsing you,” Burns said.

“Virtually every aldermen not only complimented but celebrated the financial security and strength of this organization over the last four years – how we weathered covid and how we are about to emerge stronger still,” Burns said.

COVID-19 response

Simonian criticized the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying waiving liquor license fees did not do enough to support small businesses.

“I own two small businesses that are getting destroyed,” Simonian said.

Simonian owns dry cleaning franchises in St. Charles and Darien. He said his was considered an essential business, yet he has had to lay off 50% of his workforce.

“Sales are down 85%. … I have taken advantage of every (Payroll Protection Program), EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan), local Kane County government loan program etc., to keep us afloat,” Simonian said. “It’s come out of my pocket – personally – to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars a month to keep these businesses open.”

Burns said he took an oath to serve the citizens of Geneva – not St. Charles or Darien.

“I’m sorry he is experiencing those challenges in those communities, but to complain about them to all of you – with respect to the confines of serving the city of Geneva – is unfortunate,” Burns.

The city not only waived all liquor fees, but also permit fees for outdoor dining and dining in the city’s right-of-way, Burns said.

Burns also attended over 20 of the Kane County CARES Act Allocation Committee regarding distribution of the $92.9 million in federal covid relief funds.

“The number one concern I heard is, ‘Where is our voice?’ with respect to that program. That voice was in the chamber at the county for all 20-plus meetings,” Burns said. “And I’m proud of that.”

The City Council has also approved waiving all liquor license fees for fiscal year 2021, Burns said.

The combination of efforts represents a $1.3 million investment from the city for business, restaurants and nonprofits and cultural institutions, Burns said.

“The city has done absolutely horrible,” Simonian said of its business support during the pandemic.

If he had been mayor of Geneva, Simonian said he would have had the city support a $10 million to $15 million bond issue to give to local restaurants and businesses to get them through the pandemic.

Simonian said the 2% Places for Eating Tax would be put in place so they could pay it back.

“It doesn’t cost the taxpayer a dime,” Simonian said. “In the next five to seven years, that will be all paid back.”

Enforcing covid restrictions

Simonian criticized Burns’ leadership when the City Council held a special meeting on whether to have police enforce the governor’s orders on bars, restaurants and not having gatherings of more than 10 people.

“The mayor picked up the phone and called every city council member, orchestrated this whole thing,” Simonian said. “I talked to a number of city council members who didn’t even want to go to that meeting, didn’t even want to approach that subject. … Thank God the City Council voted the mayor down on this idea.”

“I am astounded at how easily Tom lies,” Burns said.

In reality, Burns said he had received numerous emails and phone calls about restaurants not following the rules, so he sent an email to aldermen about hosting a discussion on what to do.

“Every council member except one said yes,” Burns said. “As I understand it, that’s a majority. Therefore the meeting was convened. … While there was some support for – perhaps – doing more, we shouldn’t. In my world, majority rules. Seven aldermen said no need to. … It was a difficult, but important conversation.”

Simonian compared a restaurant remaining open during the pandemic shutdown to choosing to drive when the weather is icy.

“If the person is not comfortable with going into the environment for whatever reason, no one is forced to do that,” Simonian said. “You’re not forced on a night when it’s icy and it’s stormy to go out into that weather. It’s your choice. There’s consequences to your choice. If you choose that you want to take the risk, so be it. But these restaurant owners and these restaurant employees were willing to take the risk because they need to feed their families.”

Voting to break a tie

Simonian also challenged Burns that the mayor had said he would never vote to break a tie to change the status quo – yet Burns has done that, including to allow recreational marijuana to be sold in Geneva.

Burns denied that he ever said it.

“Tom is fabricating the truth,” Burns said. “To assume that anyone would state, ‘I will never break a tie because I don’t want to change the status quo.’ That has never left my lips. That will never leave my lips. The status quo in this town has been changed multiple times.”

As to the marijuana discussion, Burns said, “Tom, I have a text from you in the middle of the meeting that says, ‘Just get it done.’ My vote was to break a tie.”

To date there has been no interest in selling marijuana in Geneva, but once there is, Burns said the request would go through a review process.

“To immediately say - which is being alleged – that I would never allow such a global discussion on such an important issue – that’s just not true,” Burns said.

Simonian said he texted all the aldermen that night to say just vote to get it done, not to go into all the zoning issues.

Emma’s Landing

Simonian alleged that residents of the Sterling Manor subdivision did not have a seat at the table in discussing the Emma’s Landing development for affordable townhouses.

The issue is controversial and the City Council has continued its deliberation to March 8.

Simonian said those residents “spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers to try ... to get somebody to listen to focus on their desires, their wants, their beliefs, their issues.”

“The developer got basically everything they wanted and the citizens were not heard,” Simonian said. “If you look at all these scenarios where the pitchforks and the torches come to City Hall at the 11th hour on all these controversial issues, it’s all because the people were not communicated to.”

In response, Burns said Simonian supports full engagement “and I would applaud that and totally agree.”

“But on the other hand ... Tom only got involved in this a few months ago … when he started to join a certain Facebook group to fan the flames, supporting the accusations that everything was being done behind closed doors – because it serves Tom’s narrative,” Burns said. “When someone goes on a website and writes and posts lies to fan the flames of division between citizens and their representatives, citizens and the staff, citizens and an applicant – that is not leadership. … That is building a narrative.”

The city’s decisions should be based on what is discussed at public meetings, not on what people post on social media, Burns said.

The two will face off again at a Zoom meeting hosted by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce at 10:15 a.m. March 3 and by the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County at 7 p.m. March 18 at the Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St., Geneva.