|
Resident Newsletter from the City of St. Charles, Ill. - May 16, 2025 |
|
 WATCH: Meet your new City Council and Treasurer--'SNL' Style!
Live from St. Charles City Hall… it's your new City Council!
>>Watch Video on YouTube.
Get-to-know your newly elected, re-elected officials
On May 5, during the Swearing-In Ceremony at the St. Charles Fire Station, the City welcomed its new Mayor and officials elected in the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election. To help you get to know them better, we invited each person to share their insights by answering a few key questions — here’s what they had to say:
|
|
Mayor Clint Hull (newly elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you begin your service on the Council? It’s always been about wanting to serve my community. I’ve been in St. Charles for 57 years — it’s a part of who I am. My mom taught at the high school, my dad worked in St. Charles kitchens, and from an early age, my sister and I were taught to appreciate how blessed we were to live in St. Charles — and that it was our responsibility to give back to the community. So, what excites me most is that after 57 years of my community investing in me — from my teachers, coaches, the school district, and the State’s Attorney’s Office — I now have the opportunity to give back to the people of St. Charles by serving alongside City Council members.
Why is serving in this role important to you? I’ve been a coach throughout my life, and I see leadership as a team effort — that’s exactly how I plan to approach being mayor. Many people may not realize that St. Charles operates under a strong council, weak mayor system. That means it’s the council members who set the direction of the city, not the mayor alone. In this role, I see myself as a team captain — collaborating with the City Council and staff, the library, school district, and others to support each part of the team, so together we can make St. Charles the best it can be.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? There is so much going on in St. Charles. It’s always growing and evolving — and that’s a good thing. As someone who was born and raised here, I know some people worry about change or want to hold on to how things were when we were growing up. But the truth is, for a city to thrive, it has to continue to grow. I’ve seen that growth firsthand, and as mayor, I’m excited to help guide it and be part of shaping what comes next.
Specifically, one idea I’m particularly passionate about is creating a Senior Commission — a dedicated group focused on our senior residents. Many of my parents’ friends are at a stage where they want to stay in St. Charles where they raised their families, but they’re facing challenges unique to them. A commission like this would help ensure we’re cognizant of how much our seniors have done for this city and that we’re finding meaningful ways to support them as they continue to be an important part of our community.
>>Watch: Mayor Hull's remarks after taking Oath of Office (full-length version)
|
|
|
John R. Harrill - City Treasurer (re-elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you continue your service? I look forward to working with staff and other elected officials to help ensure key financial information is understood and easy to find for the community.
Why is serving in this role important to you? Developing consensus around sound financial policy is important to me. The city’s Finance Department does an excellent job steering this by making information visible and by offering well-considered budgetary proposals. I enjoy supporting and being part of those discussions.
|
|
|
Ronald Silkaitis - Ward 1 Alderperson (re-elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you continue your service on the Council? I look forward to continuing to represent the residents of the 1st Ward and serving the City of St. Charles with dedication, respect, and thoughtfulness.
Why is serving in this role important to you? Having lived in St. Charles my whole life, and with my wife, raised our family here, I want to see our beautiful city continue to be a welcoming and vibrant place to live, work, and enjoy recreational activities.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? One opportunity I am excited about is developing the former police station site. I would like to see a project that will be modest in size, with public amenities, and possibly a space where small business pop-ups could be located. The site should be designed to complement the existing character of St. Charles.
|
|
|
Ryan S. Bongard - Ward 2 Alderperson (re-elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you continue your service on the Council? I'm excited to continue serving because it gives me the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues on Council, our new Mayor, city staff and of course our residents. We have made a great deal of progress since I was originally elected in 2021 and our future is bright. I'm looking forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure we keep our positive momentum.
Why is serving in this role important to you? Serving on Council is a privilege and a responsibility I hold in the highest regard. I appreciate Ward 2 residents' trust and confidence in me representing their interests as we all work towards making St. Charles the best place to live, work, and visit.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? We have a number of important questions facing our community — responsible development, infrastructure improvement, financial accountability — and I am motivated to finding answers that meet the needs of our residents and business community.
|
|
|
Vicki Spellman - Ward 3 Alderperson (newly elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you begin your service on the Council? I am most looking forward to working with our passionate, dedicated city council members, mayor and city staff to work together to make a difference in our amazing community.
Why is serving in this role important to you? It's been said that the most important elected offices to any citizen are President of the United States, and City Councilperson, as they have the greatest impact on one's day-to-day life. Being entrusted with representing the residents of St. Charles is an honor and I will do my best to help make the city a better place during my term in office.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? I am excited to explore several potential new projects, including creating a bike path on Dean St. to connect the Great Western and IL Prairie walking/biking paths; redeveloping the old police station property on the river in a way that brings more foot traffic downtown; and improving communications and access to information about city happenings and resources for residents.
|
|
|
Robert W. “Bob” Gehm - Ward 3 Alderperson
(re-elected, unexpired two-year term)
What are you most looking forward to as you continue your service on the Council? During this upcoming 2-year term, I am looking forward to the long-awaited opening of the Whole Foods location in St. Charles and I am certain many residents share the same feeling. The completion of the Fox Haven Square development will be a great addition to the East Gateway. The potential development of the Pheasant Run property and the Charlestowne Mall. A commitment to decide on the future of the dam and our great asset of the Fox River.
Why is serving in this role important to you? Serving in this capacity as a representative of the residents in the 3rd Ward and for all of St. Charles is my opportunity to give back to the city and demonstrate servant leadership that is a core value of mine.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? I am excited to see the opportunities that the 1st Street Plaza can provide for the City of St. Charles. Now that construction is completed, and a full season of activities are in the works I think this will be an exciting venue for residents and visitors to enjoy. I am hopeful that more collaboration can be developed with the new City Council and Mayor Clint Hull to bring ideas to address developments for attainable housing across the city. I feel that additional opportunities can be explored to make St. Charles more accessible and welcoming for all residents and visitors to enjoy all the city has to offer.
|
|
|
Bryan Wirball - Ward 4 Alderperson (re-elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you continue your service on the Council? I look forward to continuing to engage and build relationships with the residents in the 4th Ward that I've had the honor to represent over the last four years. I am also excited about the opportunity to continue to work with a dedicated group of alderpersons and staff that are committed to serving our community. I am also eager to work with our new Mayor on making our community the best it can be.
Why is serving in this role important to you? St. Charles is a wonderful place to live, work, and play. My wife and I love St. Charles; it is our home. As an Alderperson I want to make sure we continue to advance our city in a manner that enhances the quality of life for everyone while also including community input — I am passionate about staying connected with residents so their voice is represented at City Council.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? I believe we have a great opportunity to move our city forward in a balanced and thoughtful manner that maintains the unique charm and character of our community. We have a unique opportunity to thoughtfully redevelop the former police station site into something that will benefit the residents in our community well into the future. I am looking forward to exploring the vision for the former police station site with the residents in our community.
|
|
|
Steve Weber - Ward 5 Alderperson (re-elected)
What are you most looking forward to as you continue your service on the Council? I am looking forward to being able to represent the people of the 5th Ward and being a part of our great history.
Why is serving in this role important to you? I felt as though I could be a part of our great City Council to help lead St. Charles into the future at this pivotal time we are in. Both in assisting current residents and businesses along with making good sound decisions that will improve our city for years to come.
What ideas or opportunities are you excited to explore to benefit the St. Charles community? St. Charles has so many good things going for it. I don’t want to stifle growth or miss any opportunities for us to truly separate ourselves from all of the surrounding cities. We need to truly create a great family environment and use all of our assets to do that. Riverfront and walking, biking paths as well as diverse entertainment options for all to enjoy. I want to be able to have year-round entertainment venues.
|
|
|
City of St. Charles Swearing-in Ceremony REEL
St. Charles elected
officials take Oath of Office
In case you missed it: the City of St. Charles held its May 5 Swearing-In Ceremony at the fire station, where eight elected officials proudly took the Oath of Office administered by The Honorable Judge Susan Clancy Boles. It was a memorable evening filled with energy, celebration, and a strong sense of community.
>>Watch on YouTube.
|
|
|
|
Mayor Clint Hull delivers first public remarks as the Mayor of St. Charles during the City's Swearing-In Ceremony held on May 5, 2025, at Fire Station No. 1.
>>Watch on YouTube.
|
|
|
The final meeting of the outgoing City Council draws a crowd
 >>It was a full house in Council Chambers during the final meeting of the outgoing City Council. After conducting normal City Council business and presenting service awards, former Mayor Lora Vitek addressed the crowd and council. She thanked the residents for the opportunity to lead the City, her family and friends for their support, City staff, business owners, fellow Council members, as well as her predecessors on the City Council.
|
|
Outgoing officials receive tokens of appreciation
 >>Ward 5 Alderperson Ed Bessner delivered remarks thanking former Mayor Lora Vitek for her years of service, first on the Youth Commission, then as Ward 4 Alderperson, and finally as Mayor. Bessner recognized Vitek with a service award and sited her administration's accomplishments including development on the east side of town, Whole Foods, Fox Haven Square, and 1st Street Plaza.
|
|
>>Ward 2 Alderperson Ryan Bongard (right) recognized outgoing Ward 3 Alderperson Paul Lencioni (left) with a service award. He shared that he appreciated Ald. Lencioni for his energy, dedication to residents, the business community, and working with City staff. |
>>In a heartfelt address, outgoing City Clerk Nancy Garrison (left) shared that she came out of "retirement" to serve as Clerk under former Mayor Vitek, who presented Garrison with a service award. Garrison previously had served for as Clerk for 12 years under two former mayors. |
|
|
|
|
