Geneva mayor seeks Kane board chairman spot

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns says he will run for Kane County Board chairman.

He announced Thursday afternoon he is forming an exploratory committee for the shot at the Republican nomination to replace Chairman Karen McConnaughay. She announced Wednesday she will seek election to the new 33rd state Senate District seat.

Burns, who turns 47 in August, has been mayor of Geneva since 2001. He was unopposed in the last two elections. Before that he was an alderman and a library trustee.

Burns ran for the Republican nomination for the 14th Congressional seat in 2007, when then-Congressman J. Dennis Hastert announced he was resigning. A few months later, however, Burns dropped out, when Hastert endorsed Jim Oberweis. The ensuing primary pitted Oberweis against state Sen. Chris Lauzen. Oberweis won, but lost the overall election to Democrat Bill Foster.

Oberweis and Lauzen have been mentioned as possible replacements for McConnaughay.

Burns has worked as a fundraiser for various entities, including Midwestern University, the U.S. Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

He’s a long-term Genevan, having moved there when he was 10. Aside from stints in Milwaukee and Arizona in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Geneva has been his home.

He is the divorced father of three daughters.

In the prepared statement announcing his release, Burns said he looked forward to visiting with people throughout Kane County to “learn firsthand what people expect” of the next chairman.

Also, “The next Kane County Board Chairman must be a tireless advocate for policies that ensure Kane County remains financially strong, attractive to business retention and expansion, and respectful of our environment, open space and agricultural resources that are key to our quality of life,” he said.

Burns also said it was essential that the chairman build an environment based on trust and mutual respect.