Four years after DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow took office for the fifth time, the city can look back and reflect on his term.

During the 2001 mayoral campaign, Sparrow promised to ensure NIU students an important voice in the city.

One of Sparrow’s first post-2001 election action was putting together a Greek Row task force, he said. The Greek Row Neighborhood Task Force is essentially a city commission.

The city also increased police presence on Greek Row, making it a safer place, Sparrow said.

The task force’s next meeting is April 14 at the Community Development Department, 223 S. Fourth St.

Former mayor and DeKalb resident Bessie Chronopoulos saw Sparrow’s record with the students differently.

“I think he more or less uses the students [for votes], and I resent that,” said Chronopoulos, who served as mayor from 1997-2001.

She also disputed Sparrow’s contention about the safety of the Greek Row neighborhood.

“The Greek Row area has turned into a disaster where the young women are terrified,” Chronopoulos said.

During the last four years, the city has seen sales tax rise from .75 percent to 1.25 percent, Assistant City Manager Linda Wiggins said.

The sales tax is the only tax raised over the last four years, Wiggins said, because the city needed revenue.

“The council has maintained the same property tax rates,” Wiggins said.

Fee increases have arisen during Sparrow’s 2001-2005 term as mayor, too.

Building permit fees have gone up to keep with inflation, Wiggins said.

DeKalb has also been looking at increasing impact fees, which would add to the cost of residential and commercial development, according to a March 28 Northern Star article.

The fees would primarily benefit the police department and DeKalb School District 428.

As of now, the city has not passed any increase in impact fees, Wiggins said.

Sparrow argued against impact fees four years ago, but has since said he was wrong and thinks the fees do have a place.

District 428 has tackled a number of issues, including budget and overcrowding issues, in the last four years.

Sparrow cited the location of Target’s distribution center as an example of the city and district working together.

The district supported the tax abatement at Target, Sparrow said. The unimproved Target property brought the district $3,600 in revenue.

Even with a 90-percent property tax abatement, which decreases 10 percent every year for five years, the school district will receive $73,000 in tax revenue from the property in the first year, Sparrow said.

After five years, the abatement ends, he said.

The DeKalb mayoral election is today and pits Sparrow against County Board Member Frank Van Buer.