Kane newsletter author confronts controversy
Kane County Connects, the experimental constituent newsletter created by county board Chairman Chris Lauzen, is a success by the target measures put in place for it: More than 8,000 daily subscribers and approaching 1,750 Facebook likes.
But the newsletter also has been a source of controversy, the latest of which prompted the newsletter's author to offer his resignation Wednesday.
The county hired local journalist Rick Nagel in March to revamp the newsletter following the stormy resignation of Cheryl Maraffio. A former campaign manager for Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, Maraffio cited "an obvious, significant lack of professional courtesy and respect for me" in her resignation letter.
In came Nagel on a six-month contract funded by $30,000 of riverboat grant money.
Five months later, Nagel and Lauzen were named in an ethics complaint stemming from an event listing in the newsletter advertising Lauzen's annual Porky Picnic political fundraiser.
Lauzen has admitted the listing was a mistake, but the complaint has not resulted in any reprimands. That inaction spawned the complainant, Ellen Nottke, to say during a recent county board meeting that the ethics law has no teeth.
Nottke is the former Batavia Township Republican Party chairman. She lost that position after emails between her and Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns surfaced during Lauzen's run for county board chairman. The emails made disparaging remarks about U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren and Lauzen's wife.
Last week, on Halloween, the latest cloud formed over the newsletter when Nagel announced he was pulling the opinion section he created for the newsletter. A flood of letters filled with personal attacks on officials began to flood into the section, making it unmanageable, he said. Several board members have expressed a desire for the newsletter to contain only stories that cast the county in a positive light.
On Wednesday, Nagel addressed the rocky road for the newsletter so far.
"'Independent' has been the operative word in my role as an independent contractor," Nagel told the board's executive committee. "Chairman Lauzen is not the editor. Blame me. If at any time you feel that my leadership in this program has crossed the line, I will happily step aside. I'm willing to do that today."
None of the board members took him up on that offer, prompting Nagel to ask for their help in making the newsletter better.
"If you want this community outreach initiative to be meaningful, if you're looking for innovation that really matters, if you want someone who will take a strategic approach to community outreach, if you aspire to do something really special, I can help you do that," Nagel said.
Board members promised to get more involved with the newsletter content. Lauzen praised Nagel's idealism. He said the 8,000 readers validate Nagel's efforts.
"This is what innovation looks like," Lauzen said. "There are a lot of people who start their day with a cup of coffee and Kane County Connects."