Gurnee Mayor Tom Hood is running for reelection in 2025.
National politics may be the spotlight, but candidates for a pair of Lake County mayoral posts already are launching campaigns for April’s local elections.
Thom Koch Jr.
In Gurnee, incumbent Mayor Tom Hood this week said he would be seeking a second four-year term. And in Vernon Hills, longtime village Trustee Thom Koch Jr. will be running for the position formally known as village president but informally referred to as mayor.
Both have long involvement with their respective communities and say they want to continue serving and see through various initiatives.
Because of extensive commercial bases, Gurnee and Vernon Hills perennially are sales tax leaders in Lake County and as such do not levy a municipal property tax. Both candidates say they will keep it that way.
Hood is an attorney who grew up in town and served as chairman of the village’s zoning board, then eight years as a trustee before being elected mayor in 2021.
He said safety is a priority, noting the addition of a fire station and “the most ambitious hiring of police officers in the history of Gurnee” during his term. That allowed for more officers in schools, at Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills, and in neighborhoods, he said.
Proactive economic development and a strong business base has allowed for a high level of village services, Hood added. Conservative spending and investment in business has resulted in economic growth during his tenure and put the village in a strong financial position, he said.
Goals for a second term include establishing a 911 center with other Lake County governments, revitalizing Gurnee’s east side, hosting more events in neighborhoods and attracting new business and entertainment.
Koch has served as village trustee since 1993, the same year then-trustee Roger Byrne was elected mayor, which he remains today. Koch has served as mayor pro-tem since February 2022, when Byrne was stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome and subsequent health issues and has been unable to attend meetings in person.
“I like doing it and thought this might be a time to step and do the job on a regular basis,” said Koch, a retired social studies teacher in Hawthorn Elementary District 73.
Koch said he enjoys helping the community in his role on the village board, which has become less hectic since he retired.
Byrne has done a “great job,” Koch said and he wants to keep that going. The pair ran on the same slate in 2021. Byrne on Thursday said he is “getting better all the time,” but wants to asses his situation before deciding whether to run for a ninth term.
Among the projects Koch said he wants to see through is the ongoing $250 million redevelopment of the 1970s-era Hawthorn mall, considered the centerpiece of the village’s vast commercial base.
The first day to file nominating petitions for local offices is Nov. 12 and the last day is Nov. 18.