Choices, newcomers on St. Charles library, park ballots

St. Charles voters will have a chance to elect new faces to both the library and park boards in April if they so choose.

Trustees for the St. Charles Library board serve six-year terms. There are four candidates on the ballot vying for three seats. Michael Hill, Norman Huntley and Daniel Prath are all incumbents. The newcomer is Anne Francissen. Francissen's social media profiles show she has an education in finance and works as the executive assistant to the branch manager of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in St. Charles. She is also a secretary for the St. Charles North High School PTO.

The library just completed several renovations in an attempt to modernize the facility without spending significant tax dollars. Voters rejected a $35 million tax increase request in 2010 that would have added significant new space to the library and boosted operating funds.

The St. Charles Park District might be on the verge of testing local voter's appetites for a tax increase that is smaller than what the library wanted, but for similar purposes of adding more public space. The current slate of commissioners spent most of 2013 investigating a tax increase of between $23 million and $27 million. The money would fund construction of a new community recreation center and possibly new turf fields. If that question doesn't appear on the April 2015 ballot, park commissioners would be able to try again in 2016.

If there is a park district tax increase question on the ballot, voters will also get to weigh in on how they feel about the commissioners who decided to ask for more tax dollars. That includes park board President Bob Thomson and longtime Commissioner James Cooke. Incumbent Nancy Cox is not seeking re-election.

There are also two challengers seeking a spot on the board.

Trish Beckjord is new to the political scene. Her social media profiles show experience and training in management and landscape architecture. She works as the principal at Design Sense Nature Landscapes. She also serves as an associate with the Conservation Design Forum.

Vanessa Bell-LaSota is also taking another shot at winning a park board seat. She came about 415 votes short of election in April 2013. She previously had an unsuccessful run for St. Charles City Council. Bell-LaSota is a community organizer, having co-founded the Concerned Coalition for Sensible Spending group in St. Charles. She also works as an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics.