Campton Hills fight may not be over

Campton Hills officials plan to meet in private today to consider prolonging an already costly legal battle against five groups of property owners who were granted permission to secede from the village by a Kane County judge last month.

Village President Patsy Smith said the session with legal counsel will center on whether to appeal the judgments by Judge Michael J. Colwell, file motions asking the judge to reconsider or simply let the rulings stand. The village has until April 21 to respond, officials said.

"I have no clue what the board's going to do or not do," Smith said Monday. "I don't know how the trustees feel. I'm sure (they) have a variety of different issues and questions."

Between the time residents voted last spring to incorporate as Campton Hills and the end of 2007, the village spent nearly $250,000 fighting lawsuits that sought to disconnect about a dozen neighborhoods from the village.

Last month, Colwell issued rulings in the first five cases, allowing the areas known as Campton Farms, Cheval de Selle, Hidden Oaks, Morraines and Prairie Lakes to leave the new municipality. The other cases are pending.

Smith said trustees plan to discuss their next legal move in closed session from 6:30 to 8 tonight before adjourning to open session at Campton Township Community Center, 5N082 Old La Fox Road.

If more time is needed, she said, the board could meet behind closed doors again later in the evening.