Oak Park residents have two candidates to choose in the race for 78th District state representative.
Incumbent Camille Lilly, a Chicago native who grew up in Oak Park, was appointed to the post in April 2010, and won re-election later that year. Now she’s being challenged by Chicago resident Michael Nardello, who currently manages a $35 million budget for the City of Chicago Department on Aging/Family and Support Services.
Nardello, 45, touted his financial background during an endorsement interview last month. He said the state is doing nothing to manage its structural budget problems, including the ever-growing unfunded public pensions. Closing facilities and selling off assets is just a temporary Band-Aid, he said.
“Once you reach the point of selling off your assets, you’re at rock bottom and there’s no future for you,” he said, adding, “We only rank [number] 1 in one category and that’s corruption. Every other financial category — responsibility, accountability — we’re ranked at the bottom, and it’s very measurable.”
Nardello, who grew up Galewood and also owns several Wingstop fast-food franchises, ticked off a list of possible solutions to the state’s ailing finances. Those included the end of borrowing, looking at possible school district mergers, and avoiding sweetheart deals to corporations such as Sears.
He plans to quit his job to become a state rep, which he said is contrary to Lilly’s approach. The current rep splits her time between Springfield and a post at Loretto Hospital in Chicago as vice president of external affairs and development. She was also formerly head of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. “She’s a part-time legislator and this is a full-time problem that needs a full-time legislator, and that’s what I’m going to be,” Nardello said.
Lilly, meanwhile, said the state just doesn’t have enough money and will need to make some “tough” choices in the near future. She’d like to bring citizens into the conversation, and pensioners, as Illinois tries to solve its budget holes. She said the state needs to honor its commitments and programs promised to residents, especially as the population is growing and demands are getting greater on state services.
“The needs of our citizens have gone up in all areas, but we have the same amount of money. I say, just for that alone, we don’t have enough,” she said. “Can we do better with what we have? Yes, but that scrutiny of our budget and more participation in that process is a step in the right direction.”
Lilly said she’s loath to change benefits for pensioners, mid-stream, but is open to changes for newcomers. She said she’s tried to keep a watchful eye on taxpayer dollars, and voted no, twice, on the ComEd rate increase. She’d also like to take away perks for corporations to remain in state, if they later close facilities or lay off employees.
Nardello is no stranger to politics, running for office twice in the past. In the 2006 general primary, he ran against state Senator Don Harmon for the 39th Senate District. Nardello also ran in the 2000 general primary for the 8th State Representative District, only to later withdraw from the race.
Lilly has received more than $3,000 in campaign contribution from the gaming industry, including $2,200 from the Crete-based Racing Association of Illinois and $1,000 from Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming, which operates 19 casinos in the U.S. and Canada. Lilly had more than $24,000 in her campaign war chest as of the end of last year. Nardello had $22,000 in his at the end of 2011.
Reporter La Risa Lynch contributed to this report.
