Kane County District 2 candidates talk spending, development

County spending and development are among the top issues for three candidates vying to represent District 2 on the Kane County Board.

Democrats Ellen Nottke of unincorporated Batavia, Matthew Dingeldein of North Aurora, and Martha Davidson of North Aurora are seeking their party’s nomination to serve the remaining two years of the term for board member Dale Berman, who died in October.

No Republicans are running for the seat.

“When I ran against Dale, I knew I wasn’t going to win,” said Nottke, who was a Republican in 2024 when she lost to Berman in 2024. “Dale and I were friends.”

Nottke, a 71-year-old political consultant, said during a recent endorsement interview with the Daily Herald that she switched parties because the GOP no longer aligns with her values, particularly on social issues.

“The Democratic Party is more in tune with what I want,” she said. “I don’t care what people do in their private lives. I don’t want to get involved in their private lives. I just want good government.”

Dingeldein, a 42-year-old salesman, said during an endorsement interview that he would be respectful and inclusive in his approach to serving on the board. He added that he wants to focus on financial and environmental responsibility.

When asked about concerns specific to District 2, Dingeldein noted that it has diverse neighborhoods and commercial districts.

He said he wants North Aurora to be an “approachable” place to live, with safe routes for children to walk to school.

“So development is one of my primary concerns,” he said.

In particular, he is concerned about the development of farmland, including for use as solar electricity fields.

Nottke said she understands “we can’t stop solar fields.” Still, she said she worries about whether the panels can be recycled, and the effect of installation on water wells. She also worries about the environmental effects of data centers, particularly their water usage.

As for what the county board’s priorities should be, Dingeldein said that “a lot of national politics trickle down” to the county level, but that the board needs to keep its focus on county business. He also said it should focus on communicating with constituents, especially about finances.

“The highest (priority) has to be the budget. We need to be working on this now,” Nottke said. The county budget takes effect Dec. 1.

Nottke said one low priority is developing a new comprehensive plan. She said in her experience watching the county and municipalities develop such plans, they often end up “just sitting in a drawer” unused.

Davidson said in her candidate questionnaire that she’s running because she believes “more dedicated Democrats are crucially needed in all levels of government during the current challenging social climate in our country.”

The 67-year-old self-employed writer and editor said the most important issue facing District 2 was a revenue shortage in the county’s budget. She suggested halting plans for non-essential initiatives. She also said the county should continue staff attrition to cut costs.

County board District 2 includes parts of North Aurora, Batavia, Geneva and Aurora, and a large unincorporated section west of Batavia and North Aurora.

Kane County board members also sit on the Kane County Forest Preserve District board.