Schererville residents seeking their first elected office are challenging longtime leaders for a seat on the Schererville Town Council.
In the Republican primary for Schererville Town Council Member Ward 2, Jeff Myszak is challenging incumbent Councilman Kevin Connelly. Democrat Jeff Kuhn stands unchallenged to run in the primary election for Ward 2.
Myszak, 47, a retired police officer, started out working at his dad’s pool hall in town, Zak’s Crazy Eights, and served on the Schererville Parks Department. Myszak, who received endorsement from the local firefighters union, said he prioritizes public safety, stating that staffing and manpower levels in the police and fire departments have not kept up with the town’s growth.
“I believe leadership in our community should be more focused on connection, communication, and follow-through,” he said.
Myszak said residents feel frustrated with the progress and transparency on the redevelopment of the former Illiana Motor Speedway, a 70-acre property off of U.S. 30 that is owned by the town and has sat dormant since 2016.
In 2024, the town hired American Structurepoint Inc. for $375,000 to produce conceptual development designs to be carried out in phases over approximately the next four years. The aim was to create a recreational space, which could include an amphitheater, community center, ice rink, sports fields and walking trails.
“I believe we’ve spent too much time and money and, in some ways, procrastinated on the Illiana Speedway property,” Myszak said. “From conversations I’ve had, I haven’t heard many residents express excitement about the idea of a business district there. Instead, I think the community would love to see something more like a Centennial Park-style space. …There’s real potential here to build something that reflects the needs and desires of the community while creating a long-term destination for families.”
As a father of four, including two Lake Central High School students, he said the town needs to focus on building up more family-friendly spaces and attractions.
Connelly, 62, has been a Schererville councilman since 2012 and previously served on the Schererville Parks Department board and served as chairman for the Schererville Police Commission.
He stated public safety is also a priority, stressing infrastructure and fiscal responsibility along with responsible decision-making for the town’s future. Connelly said during his time as councilman, he has invested in the fire and police departments with upgraded fire stations, new firefighter gear, additional staffing, body cameras, license plate readers and dispatch upgrades.
“…As a council member, I focus on being a good steward of taxpayer dollars — prioritizing fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets and transparency in how public funds are spent,” Connelly said.
On the Illiana Speedway property, Connelly said the project is a priority that he plans to bring forward while being financially responsible with taxpayer dollars.
“Developing a park is costly and the burden cannot be on the Schererville taxpayers,” he said. “We cannot issue a multimillion-dollar bond and place our town into debt for this project. Progress will be made when we establish a funding mechanism for the park amenities. Over $290K of taxpayer dollars has been spent on a third-party consultant, which I opposed. We have in-house talent with our town manager and director of operations to manage the project effectively without wasting tax dollars.”
Connelly has lived in Schererville since 2005 and has two children and a wife of 27 years.
Incumbent Schererville Town Councilman Tom Schmitt, D-4th, and Republican Dan Elzinga are the only candidates running for Town Council Ward 4.
Schmitt, 65, is in his 20th year serving on the Schererville Town Council, in which he has been elected five terms. He retired after a 30-year career as a refinery operations worker at the BP Refinery in Whiting and is a current United Steel Workers Local 7-1 union member.
The key things he said residents are focused on are public safety, traffic, taxes staying low, and quality of life issues like parks, trails, and entertainment opportunities.
“Some main focuses are to continue to build up public safety with police, fire and ambulance with additions of people, equipment, and updated facilities,” Schmitt said. “To continue to supply the core items that are important to our residents: good roads, good public works service, up-to-date parks, trails, entertainment opportunities, and keeping the tax rate at the lowest rate possible. We have three projects that are a main focus, with the Kennedy Avenue upgrades and extension, the new Central Fire Station, and the project to bring recreation items to the Illiana property that the town owns.”
Schmitt said when it comes to his dedication to Schererville, he prioritizes making himself available to residents, as well as attending as many town events as possible.
Elzinga, a 40-year-old Illiana Truck Center owner, is a former real estate appraiser and broker, and currently oversees land and easement acquisition projects, as well as owns and operates residential rental units.
Previously, Schmitt moved for Elzinga’s name to be removed from the ballot because Elzinga had lived in Schererville for less than a month, he previously told The Post Tribune. Elzinga, who previously lived in Highland, told the Lake County Board of Elections he had lived in Schererville with his wife and children since December 2025.
Elzinga said his childhood and family’s history is entrenched in the town, and his family actively participates in Schererville sports and events, with his grandfather starting a retail farm and organizing the annual Schererville Corn Roast in the 1960s.
“This is where I was taught a strong work ethic and learned how to take pride in a hard day’s work,” Elzinga said.
Main focuses of his platform include improvement of traffic flow and well planned, financially responsible development.
“Schererville has grown a lot in the past few decades with too much high density development and I believe traffic congestion is a concern for most residents,” Elzinga said.
Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
