Lake Geneva incumbent being challenged by business owner
A Lake Geneva City Council member is being challenged for her District 1 seat by a local business owner.
Alderwoman Sherri Ames is set to face Anthony Silvestri, co-owner of Magpies Den & Pen and Fat Cat’s, in the April 7 spring election.
The following are responses to a candidate questionnaire from the Lake Geneva Regional News. Candidates were asked to keep their answers to 200 words or less.
Sherri Ames
Age: 65
Hometown: Delavan
Occupation: Retired for housecleaning.
Prior elected service: Finishing up my first term as Alderwoman District 1 Lake Geneva.
Other public service: I was on the ad-hoc committee for parking. I have volunteered for the Lake Geneva Schools, PTO at Lake Geneva Middle School, Dairy Leader for the Linn 4-H Club, helped with Girl Scouts as the cookie mom.
What unique expertise or experience would I be bringing to this office?
Already being the alderwoman for District 1. Living here for 45 years, I have seen the good and bad that has happened.
What is the most pressing issue facing Lake Geneva, and how I would address it?
We have many issues, the Highway 50 reconstruction, we need to be kept informed on the updates that are happening. One thing we as the Council has done is hire a communication company to assist us with this. Parking will always be an issue here in Lake Geneva, and it will be worse during the reconstruction of highway 50. The BID has bought trolleys to get people from point A to point B. We need to figure out how to get more families to stay or move here with more homes or apartments that people can afford.
If re-elected, what would a successful term look like to me?
Making sure Highway 50 goes as planned, or as close to that as possible. Keeping our city with the small-town charm. Getting people involved in the decision making, like we have with the Hillmoor property, and the strategic plan.
Anthony Silvestri
Age: 43
Hometown: Palatine, Illinois
Occupation: Managing partner; Magpies’s, Fat Cat’s, PsycheDeli, Creekside Jack’s
Prior elected office: None
Other public service: Volunteer for organizations
Education: Associates degree, School of Hard Nocks Business
What unique expertise or experience would you bring to this office?
I have 18 years of managing and owning businesses, an extensive background in commercial and residential construction/development.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Lake Geneva, and how would you plan to address it?
There are always issues in any community. At the end of the day, this is about protecting what makes Lake Geneva special. A healthy community isn’t just about visitors — it’s about the people who live and work here every day. If we get this right, we can preserve our character, support our local economy and keep Lake Geneva a place people are proud to call home.
If elected, what would a successful term look like to you?
As an alderman, I would zoom out and look at what’s structurally holding the city back and together. Lake Geneva has strong demand and healthy visitor spending as well as a strong community of residents that have their own needs which need to be looked at and addressed.
