Highland Park Shuts Down Call Center of Mayor's Opponent

HIGHLAND PARK, IL - A campaign call center operated by supporters of Deerfield Democrat Brad Schneider was shut down this week by officials from the city of Highland Park, where Schneider’s opponent is the Mayor.

Schneider, the former 10th District Illinois U.S. Congressman who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the same seat this year against Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, opened up the call center on Monday at 643 Central Ave., which is right in the middle of downtown Highland Park.

But two days later the city handed the office a notice indicating their use violated a city requirement that states ground-level space in that shopping district must be used for retail purposes, according to the Highland Park News. Schneider’s crew was given until 4 p.m. Friday to clear the space. They have already done so.

The quick move has been criticized by at least one political action committee.

Dan Knight, of America Rising, suggests Rotering possibly “abused her political power.”

The Highland Park Mayor “owes it to the voters she seeks to represent to immediately and completely release all evidence proving the City's claim against Schneider is legitimate and not a last-ditch political dirty trick to win the primary.”

Ghida Neukirch, Highland Park City Manager, told the News she was contacted personally by a downtown retailer who noticed the space was being used as a call center. A city inspector investigated the situation on Tuesday before the notice to vacate was submitted.

"It is not a permitted use in this zoning district," Neukirch said. "We indicated our willingness to help them find a location in a permitted district, if they were still interested in space in Highland Park."

A Schneider campaign spokesperson said no money had been used to install phones, and that callers were using their own cellphones.

A spokesperson for Rotering's campaign said they had not known the center in question had opened until they were informed a code violation was cited.