Kaptain wants to spark discussion of Elgin issues

David Kaptain didn't dream of being a politician when he was a boy growing up in Elgin. But as an adult, he can pinpoint a shift in his life stemming from an news article about the Eagle Heights neighborhood in which he lived.

A woman was quoted as saying she was afraid to let her daughter out of the house past 5 p.m. That woman lived just a few blocks from Kaptain and his wife. So Kaptain decided to work toward a solution in the form of a Neighborhood Watch team.

At the first meeting, about 40 people showed up, one a retired police officer who had experience with other Neighborhood Watch groups. By the time it was fully formed, there were 32 groups involved, each with about 10 houses in its area. With the meetings already scheduled, the issues already being discussed, Kaptain encouraged founding an official neighborhood association.

He served as president of the Eagle Heights Residents Association for 10 years, then took a position as a founding member of the steering committee of the Elgin Community Network. He joined Elgin's Planning and Development Commission in 1999 and then was appointed to fill the remaining two years of Councilman Marie Yearman's term after she died. He was then elected to the council in 2007.

“I enjoyed helping people and talking to people about their problems,” Kaptain said.

The latest manifestation of this desire is Kaptain's run for mayor, taking on three-term incumbent Ed Schock.

Disagreements with some of Schock's choices pushed Kaptain to ensure the mayor would not run unopposed.

A major campaign piece for Kaptain has been a push for heightened transparency in city government. Kaptain said people have been complaining for years about backroom deals — a reputation he would like to eradicate as mayor.

Kaptain said he would also like to see increased volunteerism in Elgin. With more people involved, the city could spend less money on consultants or staff hours for community projects.

“The role of government is going to change,” Kaptain said.

The 100 volunteers working on the Sustainability Master Plan saved the city more than $400,000 in consulting fees, Kaptain said, and resulted in an arguably superior product.

Kaptain has spent years of his life volunteering and serving in leadership roles throughout the community. He said it's his way to give back to the city that provided a life for generations of people in his family — Kaptain spent more than 30 years working as a chemist for the Fox Waterway Agency. Now retired, when Kaptain is not volunteering he likes to read novels and walk through Elgin neighborhoods or hike through national parks.

If he doesn't win this bid for mayor, he said he will not run again but will move on to explore other ways to improve the city.

Mostly, Kaptain said, his campaign is a way to force Schock to talk about certain issues. That way, regardless of the outcome, a discussion will have been started throughout the electoral process.

“Elgin will be a better place no matter who is elected,” Kaptain said.

For more information about Kaptain's campaign, visit kaptainformayor.com.