Darien Candidates Agree On Marijuana Stores

DARIEN, IL – The two candidates for the Ward 1 seat on the Darien City Council agree on one controversial issue: They oppose marijuana dispensaries in town.

In fall 2019, incumbent Ted Schauer voted against allowing such stores in town.

His opponent, John Mayrens, takes the same position.

They are in the only competitive City Council race in the April 1 election.

Darien has one dispensary, High Haven, which opened in 2023 in the same shopping center as Q Bar.

In Patch’s candidate questionnaire last month, Mayrens said he opposed recreational marijuana.

“Since it became legal, more people (are) indulging while driving, and this is a safety issue, plus it sends the wrong message to our youth,” Mayres said. “I do not see a marijuana dispensary as a profitable source of revenue for the city of Darien.”

Schauer noted his vote against marijuana stores. The council split 4-3 in favor.

“Of the 4 alderman who voted yes, 2 of them were voted off the city council in the last election, and I believe their support of a marijuana dispensary was a major factor in them losing,” Schauer said. “The fact is that the revenue from the dispensary is only about 40k per year, and it will never be worth it having it in Darien.”

The two aldermen who lost in the 2023 election were Lester Vaughan and Tom Chlystek, who were defeated by, respectively, Ralph Stompanato and Gerry Leganski.

Patch did not ask the candidates about the marijuana issue in the 2023 questionnaire.

In a 2020 City Council meeting, Leganski, who spoke during public comments, said he was against the entire marijuana industry. Stompanato’s position is unknown. He did not return a message about the issue after the 2023 election.

Two dispensary supporters remain on the council.

Alderman Thomas Belczak voted for allowing such a store in 2019 and took nearly two-thirds of the vote in an election two years later. In this election, he is unopposed.

In 2023, another dispensary backer, Alderman Eric Gustafson, defeated his better-funded opponent, Rachel Lazich, with 51 percent of the vote. Patch could find no information online about Lazich’s position on dispensaries.