First Campton Hills election will be crowded with 17 vying for board

Candidate filings for Campton Hills' first election ended Monday with one addition, bringing to 17 the number of residents seeking eight village offices.

Joining the packed Feb. 5 primary ballot was Karen Dowd in the race for village clerk, a post also being sought by Carolyn Higgins, who filed to run for the office last week.

Acting Village Clerk Rebecca Lambe, who was appointed after the village won incorporation rights in April, did not file to run for election. Dowd could not be reached for comment.

In addition, two residents are running for village president: Patsy Smith, who led the incorporation charge and currently holds the appointed position, and Robert Young, who fought the incorporation push.

Thirteen candidates are vying for six seats on the village board. The slate consists of incumbent trustees Al Lenkaitis Jr., Mike Millette and Jim Kopec as well as challengers Laura Andersen, William Brown, Susan George, William Lundborg, Gary Moore, Frederick Robinson, Susan Secondi, Richard Seehafer, John Strauss and Marty White.

Incumbent trustees Bern Bertsche, Charles Cappell and Roy Pollack did not file to run for office, meaning at least three board seats will be filled by newcomers.

The large lineup of would-be village officials is expected to make for a heated race in which village opponents go up against the municipality's founders for control.

At least eight of the candidates previously fought the incorporation of the village, claiming an additional layer of government would mean higher taxes -- a notion current village leaders deny.

That same argument is expected to play out in campaigns leading up to Feb. 5.

This is the first election since Campton Hills narrowly won incorporation rights in April. The 20-square-mile village, west of St. Charles, has about 9,800 residents.