Mahomet president not re-running, endorses board member

MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — Mahomet’s village president will not seek re-election once his term is up in the spring of 2025.

Sean Widener has served the community in different positions since 2006. First with planning and zoning, then on the board of trustees, and finally as the president starting in 2015.

But now, he knows it’s time to focus on his day job at Clark Dietz overseeing engineering in Chicago, suburban Oakbrook and Champaign.

Looking back at the last 18 years, he said he’s proud of the economic development in town and the Downtown Master Plan .

But, there is still more work to wrap up before he officially hands over the reins. One project he wants to “check off” is in connection to the downtown. Widener would like to see the Master Plan wrap up with a “successful ending.”

At the same time, he is focused on economic growth.

“I think we are wrestling with ‘what does economic growth look like for us in the future?'” Widener said. “How does that growth or initiatives play off of other taxing bodies such as the school district, or the library? We’re having those discussions so I think between now and hopefully by April we’ll have some good direction.”

Meanwhile, he has also enjoyed watching the town grow over the last two decades.

“The vision was set in the early-2000s that we do want to grow,” Widener said. “We’re now starting to see some of the fruits of our labor. Nothing happens fast in government, so a lot of the plans we put in place five, 10, 15 years ago are now coming to fruition.”

While he doesn’t take all the credit himself, he said it’s “gratifying” to see it come to life.

“We’re not done yet. We have a lot more in the queue that we want to get done that I think the community needs and wants,” Widener explained.

He’s looking forward to see construction wrap up downtown as they work through the multi-phase project, and he’s also eager to see how Route 150 evolves in what he calls “the commercial core.”

When asked what his dream restaurant or shop would be in his community, Widener did not want to name one place in particular.

“They make their decisions to locate here based on data, not our favorites,” he said.

His term is up in April of 2025. As for the next steps, Widener is endorsing Jason Tompkins. He is currently a village trustee and Widener is excited to see what the future holds.

Outside of serving his Champaign County community, he is also a proud member of the Mahomet Lions Club and on the Illinois Dad’s Association Board of Directors.

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