Mundelein Mayor candidate touts public service record

Wally Frasier is one of three candidates running for mayor. He was part of the Mundelein Police Department for 29 years and has served on the park district board for 20 years. | Photo courtesy of Wally Frasier.

Updated: March 1, 2013 11:01AM

MUNDELEIN — Wally Frasier’s campaign for mayor is centered around his 40 years of service to Mundelein residents.

Frasier was a member of Mundelein’s police department for 29 years, serving as chief of police for six years before Ray Rose was hired in 1992. He also served on the Mundelein Park Board of Commissioners from 1982-86 and from 1997 until now.

Currently, Frasier is the board’s vice president, and he just recently stepped down from the Illinois Association of Park Districts board of trustees after serving eight years. With these changes, he chose to run on April 9 against current trustees Robin Meier and Steve Lentz.

“I’ve wanted to run for mayor for a long while but I was happy and heavily-engaged in park district projects,” Frasier said. “It drives me nuts when I pass so many empty storefronts in town. That’s what made me step to the plate. It’s been a long time and nothing has been done.”

Frasier said he wants staff to be more proactive and friendly when talking to prospective businesses, and do more than answer questions.

“I want to develop a new sales tax base to the point where we property taxes can be lowered,” Frasier said. “Everyone pays property taxes so let’s help everyone equally.”

Frasier said he likes the proposed downtown redevelopment but wishes the village were more transparent about it. When the village hall project was approved, Frasier said, the cost of buying and bulldozing the land was not included in any of the announcements.

Frasier said his experience in the village organization would be a huge benefit when advising staff, if he were elected.

While police chief from 1986-92, Frasier said the village population was growing and he faced a decision: get more officers and ease workload or finance a new police department.

Frasier said he chose to expand the force and build a strong presence in the community, while setting small sums of money aside to “patch up” the old police station.

After stepping down as chief, Frasier was a lieutenant and watch commander, and later managed the departments accreditation status.

Frasier left Mundelein in 2001 and was chief of police in Lakemore until 2009, when a new mayor – according to Frasier – wanted “to go in a different direction.” Frasier said he was not given any further explanation.

Frasier then served as chief of police in Hainesville for 10 months while the department merged with Grayslake.

Touting his public safety experience, Frasier said he wants to create a small, lightly staffed fire station east of tracks near Route 176 and Hawley road.

“With the increased length of freight trains, rescue vehicles get stuck on the west side of the tracks,” Frasier said. “When seconds count, having staff over there could make a huge difference.”

Frasier said public safety extends beyond the police and fire departments, and said he plans to support sturdy roads and sanitary systems.

“We need to get back to the basics,” Frasier said. “People live here because they want to live here. We need to let everyone else know how great Mundelein is because we shouldn’t be a ‘hidden’ gem.”

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