Endorsement: Kane board chairman

Karen McConnaughay is an easy choice over challenger Jim MacRunnels in the race for the GOP nomination for Kane County Board chairman. The winner will face Democratic challenger Sandy Kaczmarski in November.

Incumbent McConnaughay, of St. Charles, has had a firm hand on the helm of that rare government body these days that can actually tout sound accomplishment along with fiscal responsibility.

Under her leadership the county will open a new jail this year and move its sheriff's department into the same facility. It built an animal shelter, created a transportation plan and an impact fee to help fund it and moved forward on the Stearns Road and Bolz/Longmeadow Parkway bridge projects. The county is a leader in studying water supply issues and making it a regional topic of debate. And all was accomplished without any tax hike beyond a 2-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase, the revenue from which goes to help fund transportation projects county residents have said should be a priority.

MacRunnels, of Elburn, rightly is concerned about the county's growing dependence on consultants but he is far too quick to impugn the integrity of others without proper factual support. He also is more inclined to fault others than present fresh ideas of his own.

Given the accomplishments of this county board and McConnaughay's hands-on leadership of it, she gets our hearty endorsement.