David Stolman is no stranger to Lake County government, having been a fixture on the county political scene for nearly 20 years now.

But still the ease in which the Republican has stepped into the role of County Board chairman has been impressive. He didn’t even get flustered when he was forced into being coroner for a day when the former coroner was convicted of a felony and had to resign. He took swift but transparent action in getting an ordinance passed and a committee established to choose a new coroner.

He could have acted in typical Illinois politics fashion and worked a back-room deal in filling the position, but wisely opted to keep everything out in the open and above board.

Having reached the six-month mark in office, Stolman already seems like he has been at the county’s helm for years.

Taking on heavyweight issues, such as possibly privatizing a county nursing home, from the start of his tenure as chairman, Stolman has not been fazed by the job in the slightest. He does not shy away from the tough issues and does not push responsibilities onto county staff. He is accessible to the public, readily supplying his home telephone number and e-mail address. He makes a concerted effort to be present at a variety of events in the county.

The Buffalo Grove resident jokes that he puts in “29-hour days, 19 days a week,” but he is constantly on the clock. There are no early Fridays, no weekends off. There are always county issues to address, always officials to talk with about concerns. And when those are all handled, there are countless events throughout the county to attend, being the face of the county at festivals, public meetings and other events that draw crowds.

He also lends his support to community efforts, such as when he and his wife were co-chairmen of a family Shabbat dinner in honor of retiring Rabbi Howard Lifshitz of Congregation Beth Judea.

He has the county on budget and led a redistricting that not only will eliminate two County Board seats in a cost-saving move, but will have all districts with more diversity then ever before and equal population sizes.

Over the next six months, Stolman and other county officials will have plenty of issues to address — everything from lobbying state lawmakers for certain legislation to privatization of the Winchester House nursing home. County officials need to ensure that any privatization of the facility does not impact care of the nursing home residents.

Stolman will also continue to push to extend Route 53 northward into Lake County, a huge step to alleviating congestion in the area. But there are other transportation issues that Stolman and the county will need to address too.

A casino coming into the county will bring a host of issues that officials will need to start addressing soon to ensure the ills of a gambling mecca are minimized.

But all issues considered, if the first six months of Stolman’s regime are any indication of future progress, the county is in very good hands.

From: http://mundelein.suntimes.com/opinions/5882954-598/editorial-stolman-off-to-strong-start.html