By Jason Crane
Dale Berman, Village president of North Aurora officially stepped down as president, Monday, at the Village Board meeting through the Zoom video conference platform.
Berman gave notice at the January 5 Board meeting that the January 18 Board meeting will be his last.
Last Spring Berman stated he wouldn’t seek a fifth term as president of the North Aurora Village Board.
Berman recently won a seat on the Kane County Board for District 2. He has been the Village president for 16 years after 14 years as a North Aurora Village trustee.
He said, “It has been great! I’m going to miss it. You know I love North Aurora.
“I’m anxious to work with the (Kane) County Board and it’s going to be a challenge. I’m on so many committees it seems all I’ll be doing is reading minutes and looking at bills for approval.
“Thank you all for everything you’ve done! I’ll tell you…the friends that I’ve met, people I’ve been associated with, developers and business people. It’s been outstanding and it’s been a great life! I look forward to the next agenda. Thank you all! God bless. Good luck!”
Trustee Mark Gaffino was unanimously elected among the current Village Board members, to serve as the acting president for the Village of North Aurora through the April 6 general municipal election.
Gaffino, born and raised in North Aurora, announced his desire to be Village president in 2019. He has served on the Village Board since 2005 and is running unopposed to take the reigns of the Village.
Gaffino was sworn in as acting Village president by deputy Village clerk Natalie Stevens.
Several trustees thanked Berman for his commitment and congratulated him on his retirement from the North Aurora Village Board.
North Aurora Village trustee Mark Guethle suggested the recently-renovated and illuminated silo close to the intersection of Routes 31 and 56 be named after Berman.
In a March 19, 2020 interview in The Voice, Berman and Gaffino emphasized their love for the Village and Northern Illinois University Football.
They have traveled to many games and enjoy discussing the Village. One trip together included a five-hour drive from Detroit with their discussion mostly about the Village and when the trip was over they “still had more to say.” Gaffino said.
“We love the community,” Gaffino said. “We have no underlying, hidden agenda, just pure love for the community.” Berman chimed in, “It’s certainly not for the pay.”
Gaffino owns a landscaping company and said he loves the Village so much he named his company after it.
He was a part-time Police Officer for North Aurora for approximately 10 years and said his company was flourishing and decided to focus on that.
When asked if there are any changes he would like to see in the Village, Gaffino replied, “No, continue onward and upward. I think we’ve all done a good job, with Dale leading us.”