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Endorsements: Our choices for Kane County Board seats

Kane County, like many of our regional governments, heads into 2025 bracing for the end of federal COVID relief funding that helped elected leaders navigate the economic turmoil of the pandemic and launch numerous initiatives in recent years.

Among the proposed solutions is a 0.75% county sales tax on general merchandise that Kane voters will be asked to approve in an April 2025 referendum. Whether the ballot measure succeeds or not, the next county board will be tasked with finding answers to a financial circumstance that left the current board facing a $25 million shortfall in its 2025 budget.

Here are our recommendations for who should fill the seats in the Daily Herald circulation area:

District 2: Berman

Democratic incumbent Dale Berman of North Aurora faces Republican challenger Ellen Nottke of Batavia. A political newcomer, Nottke is a harsh critic of county spending, and accuses Berman of not focusing on the entire district. While some of her critiques are fair, Nottke's lack of experience is especially glaring compared to Berman, who's spent 50 years in public service. That includes three decades as mayor of his hometown, where his tenure has won praise from even some Republicans. Berman brings an established record of prudent leadership, a history of integrity and a voice of reason to the board. He earns our endorsement.

District 4: Bates

Twice elected to two-year terms, Democrat Mavis Bates of Aurora is now seeking a four-year term on the county board. There's no Republican in the race, but she faces a challenge from independent candidate Robert Dennin. Unfortunately, Dennin chose not to interview with us or respond to our questionnaire, giving us little chance to evaluate him and his candidacy. Nonetheless, we're comfortable endorsing Bates. She's been a leader in the creation of the county's Climate Action Plan, which seeks to address climate issues through recommendations and suggestions, not mandates. She's also a strong advocate for county action on mental health and substance abuse issues.

Mavis Bates

District 10: Curtis

Incumbent William Tarver, a Democrat from Batavia, has a strong case for reelection. A school social worker, he's a vocal proponent for public health, and mental health in particular. Nothing in his first two years of service raises concerns in our minds, and we could easily see ourselves endorsing his candidacy. But we are especially impressed with Curtis, a small-business owner and North Aurora village trustee whose calls for fiscal conservatism don’t rely simply on spending cuts, but seeking opportunities to eliminate inefficiencies and redundancies in services. These are much-needed strategies for a county board that must continue to serve its residents but without relying on reserves and federal help to pay the bills.

Laura Curtis

District 12: Roth

St. Charles Republican Bill Roth's bid for a second term on the board faces a challenge from Democrat Ricky Rivard, a fellow St. Charles resident and adjunct professor at Elmhurst University. Both impress with their grasp of the issues facing the county board and their passion for public service, and we're confident either could fill this seat capably. But Roth gets our slight nod. He has the edge in experience and brings a needed technological background to the board as a former IT professional. We also appreciate his willingness to criticize excessive partisanship on both sides of the political aisle.

Bill Roth

District 14: Gripe

The race for the 14th District seat matches a pair of political newcomers who, while both strong candidates, couldn't offer much more opposing views of county government. Democrat Brenda Engelhardt, a retired teacher from St. Charles, argues the county should be doing more to address mental health needs, especially those of young people, and believes previous boards' unwillingness to raise taxes in more than a decade are to blame for the current financial challenges. Republican Jonathan Gripe, a former financial adviser from St. Charles, argues that the county has been overspending for years and needs to be reined in. While the most reasonable answer might be somewhere in the middle, we believe a county board facing the financial challenges this one has waiting is better served by the more conservative fiscal approach of Gripe.

Jonathan Gripe
Cherryl Fritz Strathmann

District 20: Strathmann

Democratic incumbent Cherryl Fritz Strathmann is running against Republican Silvia Schrage for the Kane County Board District 20 seat. Strathmann has a strong record of board accomplishments including the installation of a solar field at the Judicial Center, saving taxpayers millions of dollars over time. She is the Public Health Committee chair and has overseen the Gun Lock Safety Program, the installation of vending machines with drug overdose medicine Naloxone and securing an existing Elgin building for a satellite health department office for northern Kane County residents. Schrage says she would be a voice for the Hispanic community, listening to resident’s concerns. She wants the lead water pipe issue resolved, supports job retention and wants the board to avoid regulations that could make it tougher for small business owners. Because of her solid record and determination to continue working hard for Kane County residents, we endorse Cherryl Fritz Strathmann.

District 22: Tepe

Verner ‘Vern’ Tepe

Democratic incumbent Verner “Vern” Tepe faces Republican challenger David Teas for the Kane County Board District 22 seat. Tepe says his strong financial knowledge and ability to work cooperatively will serve the county well. He keeps his constituents apprised on key issues. He supports the proposed 0.75% sales tax to raise about $51 million for public safety, public facilities, mental health, substance abuse and transportation expenses. Teas did not respond to our invitations to submit answers for a Daily Herald candidate questionnaire and to attend an endorsement meeting. His teasforkane.com website says “he’s a trusted voice, a compassionate listener, and a tireless advocate for the values we hold dear.” The Daily Herald endorses incumbent Vern Tepe.

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