Mayer fills Kane County seat, but not without questions

Despite expectations his appointment would sail through the Kane County Board unopposed, John Mayer was not sworn in without some criticism on Tuesday.

Mayer is a former West Dundee Trustee who works as a Hoffman Estates deputy fire chief. He will fill the unexpired term of John Noverini, who won a position as a judge in November.

The Kane County Republican Central Committee selected Mayer from eight GOP candidates seeking the appointment. Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, also a Republican, accepted the choice of Mayer to be her appointment to fill the vacancy.

So perhaps it wasn't surprising that the main question about the appointment came from an Aurora Democrat, Bonnie Kunkel. Kunkel said she was happy a full resume was included with notice of Mayer being the appointment. However, all that information came along too late in the process to provide the type of public vetting Kunkel said she'd like to see for such appointments.

McConnaughay told Kunkel the board's role is to concur or not concur on an appointment, not to choose the actual candidate. If the board doesn't concur, then McConnaughay simply finds another candidate.

In the end, the board did concur with the Mayer appointment with Kunkel as the lone "no" vote because of her objections to the lack of a more thorough public vetting. She was joined in that sentiment by Elgin Republican Deborah Allan, who abstained from the vote because of a murky process.

"The more information you receive the better," Allan told her fellow board members. "Transparency is always best."

Both Kunkel and Allan joined in the applause after Mayer was sworn in.

Mayer said he is nearing the completion of his pursuit of a college degree, which is what led him to resign as a trustee in West Dundee in 2007. He said he looks forward to being on the Kane County Board and has no doubts about devoting the time necessary for the job.