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Campton Hills leaders want to take community pulse in wake of Rauner cuts

Depending on the depth and duration of Gov. Rauner's proposed cuts in share of the state sales tax doled out to towns, Campton Hills could lose up to $1 million a year in funding, the amount spent each year to run its police department.

Village president candidates Patsy Smith and Harry Blecker say a worst-case scenario is that the village could be forced shutter its police department and rely on protection from the sheriff's department, which is facing its own $2.5 million budget hole.

Campton Hills does not have a village property tax and is more dependent on state funding than surrounding towns.

The village has a six months of reserves, so it can withstand cuts from Springfield without having to act immediately, Smith said.

Smith, who is seeking a third-term in the April 7 election as a write-in candidate, and challenger Blecker differ on how to gauge the pulse of the community.

Smith has instructed the village staff to budget for a community survey, which she says is the best way to get input because there is no election in fall 2015 and therefore no chance to put an advisory referendum on the ballot.

“(Residents) may have to decide how badly they want a police department,” Smith said. “(A survey) is the only way I can think of to get input from the people, because there's not going to be (another) election until April 2016.”

Blecker said a survey would be good start, but he believes the village should take it a step further with a town-hall meeting.

“An alternative (to a survey) might be to have a town-hall meeting,” Blecker said. “Let them ask the questions they want to ask instead of the questions we want to ask. Let them come and ask us.”

Smith said a survey will get input from people who are too busy or don't want to attend a public forum.

Blecker, who was elected village trustee in 2013, is running with a slate of candidates including Laura Andersen, Susan George and Michael O'Dwyer for trustee.

Nicholas Girka, also a part of the slate, garnered enough write-in votes in Tuesday's primary election to have his name on the April ballot for village clerk.

Smith, too, has assembled a slate of write-in candidates, including Don Sheluga and Mike Turgeon for trustee and Stephany Impson for village clerk.

Steve Galloway, who also is part of Smith's slate, tallied enough write-in votes in Tuesday's primary to earn a spot on the April ballot.

A resident has challenged the write-in candidacies of Smith and her slate, arguing they submitted papers to Interim Village Clerk John Strauss at his home and not village hall and are therefore invalid.

A judge will hear this complaint Thursday.

Early voting begins on March 23; visit kanecountyelections.org for polling places or more information.

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