Mark Hellner Announces Candidacy For Arlington Heights Mayor

Mark Hellner, an attorney and Arlington Heights resident of more than 16 years, is the latest candidate join the race to be the next village board president.

A two-year member of the village’s housing commission, Hellner said, “I have a pretty good spread of experience, and it seems all of those things are relevant to leading a community.” 

A member of the general counsel and ethics officer from 2005 to 2008, Hellner served the Illinois Department of Revenue for three years. Hellner then returned to his career as an attorney and now works with the Center for Disability and Elder Law in Chicago. There, Hellner also serves as the director of its Senior Tax Opportunity Program (STOP), which works to help seniors minimize their property taxes.

With a background in business, law and government, Hellner said his depth of experience adds dimension to the mayoral race. “I bring a deep and broad perspective about the business sector and community service,” said Hellner.

After strong encouragement from a number of people in the community, Hellner announced his candidacy Sunday. 

“Now is the right opportunity,” Hellner said, “With the retirement of Arlene Mulder, it’s the right time for new people to enter management of the government and take leadership of it.”

Hellner said he would like to inject new blood and new thinking into the village board. “As we all know, change can be good for the soul,” said Hellner.

If elected Arlington Heights mayor, Hellner said he would work to achieve the following goals in the Village of Arlington Heights:

• Broaden participation of community in government activity
• Create enormous transparency in village government
• Attract new businesses to community

Hellner, who owned and managed his own business for 17 years, said he knows how to create a business friendly environment and attract new businesses to Arlington Heights.

A tactic he has used before, Hellner said he would establish a business portal to coordinate the examination and approval of new businesses and construction permits. Hellner said he would make sure businesses have a friendly and appropriate welcome to the community, while keeping residents and current business owners happy.

“There needs to be a very strong push to keep residents and business in the community,” said Hellner, “I plan to grow, particularly the business community, so that its tax base is maximized.”

Increasing sales tax revenue, Hellner said, would ensure property taxes do not become unmanageable for the residents of Arlington Heights. “The larger the commercial and industrial tax base, the less negative impact it has on the residential tax base,” said Hellner.

As village presidents, Hellner said he would ensure the village board would work with residents, businesses and other area government units, such as school districts, the park district and the library, to maximize the attractiveness and viability of the community. 

Not only would he get more bang for the taxpayer’s buck, Hellner also said he would work to put that money where the people want it to go. 

“I’d like to make sure that all tax dollars are spent with the objective of the maximum amount of community members benefit from those dollars,” Hellner said. That’s one of the reasons, Hellner said, he would want community members to be more involved in village government.

“I’d like to see the community agree upon priorities and see what those are to determine where money is spent,” he said.

Representing clients for more than 35 years, Hellner said he’s confident he can fairly and intelligently represent all members of the community, which is why he wants to be the next village leader. 

“My feeling is," Hellner said, "Bring somebody in who has lived in the community for as long as I have and with the breath of experience I have and we can rethink and reexamine how we do things to really benefit the community.”

What now looks to be a three-person race, Hellner will face 22-year village trustee, Thomas Hayes and the former mayor of a Phoenix suburb, Ron Drake in the April 2013 consolidated election.

Petitions to run for village board president can be filed with the Arlington Heights Clerk from Dec. 17 until Dec. 26. Until at least 500 signatures are collected and those petitions are filed, candidates are considered "unofficial." 

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