Efficient spending a priority for District 18 Lake County Board candidates

Efficient use of resources with an eye on spending are among the issues in the race pitting incumbent Democrat Sara Frederick Knizhnik against Republican challenger Alex Sofronas to represent District 18 on the Lake County Board.

Knizhnik, a Vernon Hills resident and former Vernon Township trustee, was elected to the redrawn district in 2022 and is seeking a second term. She is a gun violence prevention and public policy advocate for SAFE Illinois, a nonprofit addressing the root causes of harm and violence.

Change starts at home, Knizhnik said, adding she is running to be a strong voice for communities, where residents can have greatest impact on creating a better future.

“I'm passionate about local government,” she said.

Sofronas, a Kildeer resident, is making his first run for public office. He is self-employed as a marketing and analytics consultant and hosts the Marketing x Analytics podcast.

Spending wisely is a motivating issue for Sofronas.

“We need real change rooted in fiscal responsibility,” he said. Sofronas said he would use data analytics to identify and cut 10% to 20% of wasteful spending.

Knizhnik said fiscal responsibility is “paramount” and that she always is looking to fund projects that support more than one goal at a time and eliminate redundant spending.

“We do big things and we try to solve problems in holistic ways,” she said.

District 18 includes portions of Buffalo Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove and Vernon Hills. County board members also serve as Lake County Forest Preserve District commissioners.

Sofronas said crime and a broader approach to addressing its root causes are among the needs in District 18.

“We need to make a change to the leadership in this county,” he said. “That's why I'm stepping up.” He cited bird-friendly windows as an example of an unnecessary expense that could be better spent elsewhere.

“Isn't this just fiscal irresponsibility disguised as environmentalism?” Sofronas asked.

Knizhnik said Illinois law requires bird-friendly glass in state buildings and there is a bird-friendly policy for new county buildings. Environmental initiatives are not wasteful or ineffective, she added.

“It’s one example (in which) my opponent has really not done his due diligence,” she said.

As for health issues, Sofronas said too much is spent on intervention rather than prevention. He said he would introduce measures such as farm-to-school programs, to address preventable diseases.

Knizhnik said as a private citizen and on the board she has advocated for the county’s first office of violence prevention, an unprecedented model and one of few in the U.S. to be housed in a prosecutor’s office.

“We are building an ecosystem of support for addressing both the acute problem of gun violence and its root causes,” such as education, jobs and access to mental health care, she said. Knizhnik said firearm homicides are down 40% in 2024 from 2023 as a direct result of the Gun Violence Prevention Initiative.

Knizhnik said alleviating traffic congestion is essential for the district. She noted planning for a “hugely important” railroad underpass on Old McHenry Road near Midlothian Road and associated road improvements is “moving full speed ahead.”

Sofronas said district residents are concerned about traffic congestion, losing green spaces and government inefficiency.