South Cook News

Donald Sebek has spent 45 years as the executive director of the Bremen Youth Service and is hoping his experience will help him defeat Bremen Township Supervisor M. Maggie Crotty on April 4.

Sebek, a member of the Bremen Families First party, argues that Crotty and her Bremen Tax Cut party has done a subpar job serving the community.

“I feel that the incumbent has not done a very good job in terms of leadership, in terms of accountability, in terms of providing services to the people,” Sebek told the South Cook News. “There is basically no reason for townships to exist if they don’t provide services to the people, and basically right now Bremen Township is sorely lacking in providing services to its people.”

Sebek points out that while services have been reduced, salaries have increased. Township taxpayers are not receiving good value from their elected officials, he said. 

“The salaries have gone up tremendously, and the services have dropped proportionately,” Sebek said. “Right now, a lot of other townships provide services for veterans. Bremen township offers none. Their services for seniors are very limited. They can be expanded considerably. The township is currently sitting on over $2 million in reserves, and that money should either be given back to the people or translated into services for the people.”

A year ago, his longtime dedication to community service inspired Sebek’s foray into politics when the township voted to defund the youth service he runs.

“I have been the director of Bremen Youth Services for 45 years,” he said. “I have served thousands and thousands of people. A year ago, they pulled our funding away from Bremen township, which has crippled mental health services in the area. Those are some of the things I would like to address as township supervisor.”

Another issue Sebek said he would address is taxes.

“The other side is running as a ‘tax cut’ party,” he said. “Well, you can ask any residents in the Bremen Township when they have had their taxes cut, and they would all tell you, ‘Not in my lifetime.’ Given the fact that they're sitting on as much money as they are, it should seem to me that there should be proportionately more services, or they should think about lowering the tax levy or giving a refund to the people. They are doing nothing.”

Sebek claims that Crotty’s party lacks transparency and accountability and ignores the will of the people.

“Maggie runs the township like a dictatorship,” Sebek said. “That’s not the way it is going to be if I am supervisor. I have four trustees that are running on my ticket that are wonderfully dedicated and committed people to making a difference in this community. I plan on working with them and not telling them that it has to be my way and they have to go along with it.”

He said his election would allow his party to bring back two things lacking in Bremen Township: integrity and services.

“Right now, the township has none of the first one and basically none of the second one either,” he said. “There is going to be integrity. There is going to be accountability.”