Snyder tops Clancy in Portage
November 03, 2015 - 10:40 PM
Post Tribune
Carole CarlsonContact Reporter
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-portage-mayoral-race-st-1104-20151103-story.html
In unofficial totals, Snyder won by 225 votes garnering 51 percent of the 7,135 votes cast. He'll again work with a Democratic city council as John Cannon was the lone GOP winner. Democrats took six seats with wins for incumbents Sue Lynch, Mark Oprisko, Patrick Clem, Elizabeth Modesto and newcomers Scott Williams and Collin Czilli.
Snyder secured a second term as head of Porter County's largest city with a hard-fought campaign against Clancy, the Portage Township trustee and a former city councilman. Both men claimed strong labor support.
"We're really excited. It's a great feeling to get the stamp of approval," said Snyder. "We worked very hard and we knocked on a lot of doors."
Snyder campaigned on his accomplishments, including the creation of a downtown identity for the city's Central Avenue corridor that will include new $8.25 million police and fire stations.
Snyder boasted that he orchestrated the projects with bipartisan support from Democrats on the City Council.
Snyder also championed a local developer's plan for a $50 million Promenade at Founders Square, a combination of 300 upscale apartments, and retail and commercial businesses on ground floors.
A new $5.7 million street department building is under way and garbage and recycling were automated at a cost of $1.4 million. About $3.5 million in improvements were completed in the parks department.
Snyder said he also brought economic progress to the city, too, with the new Meijer store on U.S. 6 providing about 300 new jobs and a Monosol expansion with about 150 jobs.
In the past year, Snyder said he has paved 36 miles of roads in the city, which he said was more than the previous 10 years combined.
Under Snyder, Portage issued five bonds totaling $22.42 million.
Clancy, the owner of a pub in the Portage Mall, criticized Snyder for escalating the city's debt with all the bonding. He said Portage had one of the top debt levels in the state during last month's debate.
Clancy said the debt could make it difficult for the city to attract new business or industry.
Snyder stumbled along the way. He missed a deadline to file his 2013 campaign finance report, and the Porter County Democratic Party filed an election law complaint against him. He has since hired a new campaign treasurer.
The FBI is investigating various city contracts and has sought Snyder's 2011 campaign finance records. Snyder has said the FBI was investigating other municipalities in Porter County, as well.
"We've risen above it and Portage is better for it," he said during the mayoral debate.
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