Former Wheeling Township Supervisor, Former Acting Arlington Heights Mayor Michael Schroeder Dies at 61

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In January of 2016, Mike Schroeder was the guest speaker at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Michael Schroeder, most recently serving as Wheeling Township Supervisor, has died Mother’s Day weekend after a battle with cancer at age 61. He recently resigned his position as Wheeling Township Supervisor to spend time with his family and focus on his battle against cancer. He served as Wheeling Township Supervisor from 2001 until March 2016.

Michael Schroeder, DDS was owner of Arlington Heights Dental Group and graduated from the University of Illinois Dental School.

Schroeder served as an Arlington Heights Village Trustee from 1989 to 1992, and served as acting Village President of Arlington Heights from 1992 to 1993. He completed the term of former Arlington Heights Village President William Maki, who was elected Village President in 1989 — the year Schroeder was elected a Village Trustee. Maki stepped down on December 7, 1992 to become a Cook County Circuit Court judge. He ran as an unopposed Republican candidate in the 12th Judicial Subcircuit in the November 1992 election. Schroeder was driven to provide leadership and stability to the local government of Arlington Heights and was considering running for Village President.

Also adding to stability of the Village of Arlington Heights was newly hired Village Manager Bill Dixon, who replaced Village Manager Kenneth Bonder and took over the office of Village Manager on January 4, 1992. As a result of a major controversy of management of fire inspections at the newly constructed Arlington Park Racetrack (following a catastrophic fire in 1986) and other local businesses, Kenneth Bonder was forced to resign.

The politics of the Village of Arlington Heights was in relative turmoil at this point in the history of the village. Maki was elected a village trustee in 1981 and became Village President in 1989. He succeeded longtime powerful Republican Village President James T. Ryan, who was Village President for 14 years, and was considered a rising star in the state GOP. Trustees were strongly aligned with Ryan, but in 1986 while Village President, Ryan was accused of domestic abuse involving his wife, which Ryan denied. Ryan stepped down as the Republican candidate for Illinois Attorney General and did not run for re-election as Village President in 1989.

As acting Arlington Heights Village President, Michael Schroeder said in a memo that he wanted to appoint members to village boards and commissions before the April elections. He said the person who wins the April 20, 1993 election would have to deal with roughly 30 board and commission members whose terms were expiring April 30. Schroeder said he was concerned that the task would be overwhelming to the newly-elected Village President.

Then trustee and mayoral candidate Arlene Mulder and former Trustee Katie Hahn wanted the appointments to wait until after the election of the new mayor. Also, Mulder and Village President candidate Julia Walsh both said that it would be inappropriate and politically divisive for someone running in next year`s village president race to put his or her name in for the interim slot, but Schroeder became the interim Village President and was also a candidate for Village President. He lost the election to Arlene Mulder in 1993.

Michael Schroeder went on to serve as Wheeling Township Supervisor. He was also a Wheeling Township Republican Committeeman. Schroeder also served as the manager for the campaign for Village President candidacy of Thomas Hayes in 2013.

Schroeder also served on the Northwest Community Healthcare Dental Advisory Board, and worked on charity missions involving dental care for underprivileged people.




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