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Miller, Scipione, Bosshart for Schaumburg library

Voters chose three candidates for the Schaumburg Township District Library board Tuesday who shared a common vision for the library’s future.

Longtime incumbent Debby Miller handily won re-election along with recent appointee Nicholas Scipione and newcomer Julie Wroblewski Bosshart in unofficial results.

Left out was former library trustee Richard Hetzer, whose proposed financial policies during the campaign were often strongly rejected by the other three candidates.

With all 93 precincts reporting, Miller had 6,837 votes, Wroblewski Bosshart 6,814, Scipione 4,933 and Hetzer 4,450.

Miller interpreted the vote as a clear rejection of Hetzer’s ideas.

“I have great faith in the people of Schaumburg Township, and their ability to see through what he was trying to do,” Miller said.

Miller said both of her fellow winners were wonderful people who will continue the library board’s long tradition of leaving political differences at the door in favor of the library’s best interests.

Hetzer said he accepted the decision of the voters.

“I put out what my thoughts were and the people didn’t agree with them,” he said. “I’m a finance person and I put out what I thought should be done.”

Though no formal slates were announced in the race, the campaign largely consisted of Hetzer proposing new financial policies which were rebuffed by the other three candidates.

These included a fresh look at the longterm lease held by the current operator of the library’s cafe, an additional fee for out-of-district library users and the gradual replacement of many of the library’s part-time workers with volunteers.

Hetzer was also preparing to run a campaign critical of the library’s expected bid for a tax hike. But that bid was suddenly called off just before the campaign season.

Hetzer is a former trustee who resigned mid-term a few years ago to care for his ailing wife.

Miller is the second longest-serving member of the board, having had just a brief two-year hiatus in her service since the early ‘70s.

Scipione is a recent appointee to the board and a former employee who led the criticism of Hetzer’s plan to rely more on volunteers than paid part-time staff.

Wroblewski Bosshart, the true political newcomer in the race, largely sided with Miller and Scipione in defending current library practices and policies. She is the daughter of Schaumburg Township Supervisor Mary Wroblewski.

The current cafe operator was praised by the incumbents for creating a successful business where others had failed. And Hetzer’s plan to charge out-of-district residents extra for borrowing was deemed by them a potential violation of state law.

Julie Wroblewski Bosshart
Nicholas Scipione