Kane County chairman says he's not interested in another job

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen is still "fully engaged" with the business of running the county despite recent changes that put the emphasis on the county board for initiating and carrying through all proposals.

Lauzen also said he will not seek outside employment during his new term.

The shift of responsibilities over to county board members came late last year, about the time of Lauzen's unopposed run for re-election. It followed a disagreement between Lauzen and Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon over the legality of Lauzen's hiring of an outside law firm and efforts to create new income for the county.

Lauzen then engaged the county board in a review of applicable laws that he interpreted as putting the onus for most decision-making in county operations on the board, not the chairman.

On Tuesday, Lauzen said the new setup has resulted in a better operation with less politics or perceived power struggles mucking up the process. But that setup has not lessened his level of activity in running the county, he said.

"I'm fully engaged in the decentralized process," Lauzen said. "I think what we've done is strengthen the board in the decentralized leadership network. I'm producing, being a good teammate to a process that's perfectly aligned with the state statutes and the county code."

County board members have speculated about Lauzen now being in a position to take another job outside the county in addition to his chairman duties. The position became more of a full-time job, with pay to match, when Karen McConnaughay assumed the role in 2004.

Lauzen is a well-known political figure in his hometown of Aurora, giving rise to speculation that he might be interested in a job with the city once a new mayor is elected. Lauzen said he didn't want to give credibility to such rumors by commenting on them. However, when pushed to dispel the rumors with a definitive "no," he said to characterize his interest level in outside employment as anything other than a definitive "no" would be "very dishonest."

"There's been absolutely zero conversation about that," Lauzen said of an Aurora job. "Is that clear enough? I'm delighted to be part of the contributions that are being made now by the county board. There always has been contributions, but it's a peaceful kind of productivity now. We just want to do a good job here."