Hopp, Scheflow running for Kane County District 22

The race for Kane County Board's District 22 pits newcomer Randy Hopp, a Democrat who prevailed in the primary, against Republican incumbent Doug Scheflow, who ran unopposed.

Scheflow, 59, an attorney, supports a project to build Longmeadow Parkway, a 5.6-mile road from Huntley Road in Dundee Township to Route 62 in Barrington Hills. The road, at a cost of $135 million, will pass through Algonquin and Carpentersville with a four-lane toll bridge over the Fox River.

The 22nd district comprises Elgin's far west side.

Longmeadow Parkway would alleviate congestion in the region and allow people to commute more easily between counties, Scheflow said.

But Hopp, 65, said drivers won't want to pay the toll and continue driving along existing bridges in Carpentersville and Algonquin. The county board should be "more patient" and look for more state and federal funding to fully finance the project, said Hopp, who is a former Gail Borden Public Library trustee.

Hopp also opposes the idea of spending an estimated $3.9 million to build a cross-country course at Settler's Hill landfill near Geneva. "That's absurd," he said, adding it can be done more much inexpensively. He also blasted the notion of charging for parking at the course.

Scheflow said the county has about $10 million earmarked for the development of the former landfill into public uses. The landfill is not an easy site to develop, and a cross-country course could attract high school and regional meets, he said. "It's not your ordinary construction. It's not saying, 'Here is a track in the forest preserve.' "

Both candidates said they support raising the county's property tax levy to factor in new construction, which Scheflow said will keep property taxes flat for the average homeowner.

Hopp said staffing for the Kane County public defender's office should be increased and that salaries for county officials should be capped at $100,000.

Scheflow said that staffing increases for some county departments are OK if they don't result in higher taxes for residents.