Courtney E. Boe: 2025 candidate for Sleepy Hollow village president

Bio

Office Sought: Sleepy Hollow village president

City: Sleepy Hollow

Age: 44

Occupation: Educator, caregiver

Previous offices held: Sleepy Hollow Village Trustee, 2023-present; Dundee Township Mental Health Board member, 2021-22

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? Also, what makes you the best candidate for the position?

Open & Transparent Communication, Accuracy and Approachability

The most common topic I hear from residents is that they don’t know what’s going on: they don’t feel they can voice their opinions because they don’t feel heard or engaged. Moreover, our village rumor mill is always churning — even more now, thanks to social media. I want to squash rumors and give facts.

While there are some limitations in how and what may be communicated due to the Open Meetings Act (IL) and the Sleepy Hollow Code of Conduct, these rules are not there to hinder communication.

I will ensure that the village adheres to OMA and the Code, protecting our residents while also helping us navigate how to provide open and transparent communication.

I will hold weekly office hours at the village, make our board agenda packets available to the public, and work toward a more accurate and regular social media presence. Lastly, I will always have an open-door policy on all issues in the village.

What is the most serious issue your community will face in coming years and how should leaders respond to it?

Water and Sewage

Clean water is essential, and its value will only continue to grow over time. Ensuring access to clean water is essential to the village of Sleepy Hollow. We have water mains that still need to be replaced, and over 100 residents are on well water. While some prefer it, others want to switch to the village water supply from the city of Elgin. We need to update the water mains, create a financial plan for moving well residents to water, and ensure septic fields are not contaminating our groundwater. I will actively seek alternate funding to minimize this financial burden on residents.

Moreover, our current contract with West Dundee restricts us to processing 750,000 gallons of sewage per day. This serves many of our residences on the east side of the village as well as our local businesses. Also, we have homes on septic that are requesting to be added to the sewer line, plus a few new developments/proposals. This finite sewage restriction should be a priority for trustees when considering and making long-term development decisions.

How would you describe the state of your community's finances? What should be the top priorities for spending during the next few years? Are there areas of spending that need to be curtailed?

I’m encouraged by our village’s financial progress since 2016, moving toward modern methods and savings. Our staff, like Finance Director Eugene Vann, Chief Sam Parma, and Public Works Director Kyle Killinger, have taken the initiative to save money and find grants.

While this current board, myself included, approved much-needed expenditures with federal and state funding, it is time to rein in spending and save. Balancing community desires and financial resources is crucial. I want to ensure responsible spending while setting up a financial safety net for future needs.

Our small stature makes us eligible for more grants, provided we have matching funds. I aim to rein in spending now to save money and qualify for more grants in the future. There’s always room for improvement, and I believe we’ll see revitalized energy in Sleepy Hollow in the coming years.

What do you see as the most important infrastructure project you must address? Why and how should it be paid for? Conversely, during these uncertain economic times, what project(s) can be put on the back burner?

Water Main Replacement and Road Repair/Repavement

Unfortunately, these are big cost initiatives. While it is tempting to kick these projects down the road and to use our limited funds on smaller more financially-attainable projects, I meant what I wrote earlier, “(b)alancing community desires and financial resources is crucial. I want to ensure responsible spending while setting up a financial safety net for future needs.”

To that end, some of the smaller projects that may not get the funding they need can also be mitigated with resident volunteering and contributions. For instance, repainting fire hydrants to ensure visibility for firefighters can be achieved with community help, as our public works department can provide the paint and instructions. After all, many hands make light work.

Describe your leadership style and explain how you think it will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions with your village board.

I'm a mediator and educator by nature. I like to find solutions and communicate so that everyone is heard and understood. Indeed, there is very little that I wouldn’t meaningfully consider. I'm confident, smart, and wise enough to know I don't know it all. I learn from others and accept guidance with gratitude. And yet, as my mother will attest, I'm strong enough to stand up for what’s right.

At the end of the day, I want residents to feel welcome, informed and included. Come May 2025, regardless of who wins, this village will have a new president. I hope to be the woman who guides us into, and through, this new era for Sleepy Hollow.

What’s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?

Native Rain Garden for Swales

Development along and west of Randall Road will continue to pollute and flood our watershed. Greenscaping is a viable and inexpensive means to manage flooding and pollution. I propose growing local, native deep-rooted plants in the community garden area behind the village hall, harvesting and processing the seeds with volunteers, and creating free seed packets for residents to plant in their swales.

This initiative has resident interest and a growing list of volunteers. These plants would encourage pollinators and filter pollutants, mitigate standing water and reduce mosquitoes, won't need mowing or fertilizing, and after a couple of seasons, will be self-sustaining with rainwater. This approach will reduce pressure on existing culverts and eliminate standing water in swales.

I appreciate that this will not solve all the watershed problems in Sleepy Hollow, but it is a fiscally-conservative, natural solution that can ease our burden. Plus, to be fair, I think the plants would really add to our village’s natural beauty: beautiful yellow and purple coneflowers, sprays of yellow goldenrods, and colorful grasses that sway in the breeze.