Del Mar Appointed to the Palatine Rural Fire Protection Board

Former Palatine councilman Aaron Del Mar was appointed as the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District's newest trustee on Monday, Nov. 16.

Del Mar is filling the seat of Rich Wells who recently passed away. Wells was elected to the three-person board in May 2015. Del Mar’s term will end in May 2016 fulfilling the original three-year tenure.

“He was a very nice man and very good at what he was doing," said Palatine Township Supervisor Sharon Langholtz-Johnson of Wells.

Langholtz-Johnson said Del Mar is also well suited for the position. “His management skills are very high,” she said, “and he will be a good steward of the taxpayers money.”

Three applicants were in the running for the position, according to Langholtz-Johnson. She said Del Mar was chosen for his qualifications, as well as the fact that his other positions did not create a conflict of interest.

In addition to four years of experience as a village council member, Del Mar also has considerable fire protection experience.

“I took the Fire Ops 101 course,” he told the Journal & Topics. “It’s a class that gives elected officials an opportunity to actually live a day in the life of a fireman.”

He said that experience was “vigorous and strenuous,” but one that he enjoyed very much.

Fire protection was a focus for Del Mar when he worked on the village council’s project to annex parts of Palatine Township. He also helped negotiate police and fire pensions.

“I just moved to unincorporated Palatine Township and I wanted to make a difference here,” said Del Mar of his motivation for applying. “I’m very excited about the opportunity.”

Updates to the fire district website and improved transparency are goals that Del Mar brings to his new position. However, these issues are only secondary to the district’s budget deficit, in Del Mar’s opinion.

“I’m planning on making a motion to re-open this year’s budget,” he said. According to Del Mar, the recently approved $282,000 deficit is more than the district should carry. “I’d like to see a balanced budget.”

While Del Mar is honored and humbled by the appointment, he is also looking forward to “working hard to make sure everyone knows they made the right decision.”

“There are a lot of questions that need answering, but first they need to be asked,” he said of the tasks ahead.

Del Mar is the owner of Adrenaline Sports and Chicago Casino & Poker and serves committeeman of the Palatine Township Republican Organization.

Palatine Township incorporates Palatine, and portions of Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, and Rolling Meadows.