Endorsement: Pasetti-Olson for Kane County Board, Dist. 8

Two newcomers to elective office are seeking the Kane County Board District 8 seat. Republican Linda Pasetti-Olson, 69, has done her homework, attending meetings over the last year and showing a strong grasp of the issues. She's determined to hold to the flat property tax levy. She believes the county attorney, public defender and sheriff need to change how they operate rather than add personnel. And she's against the plan for a cross-country course at Settler's Hill Landfill unless all the risk is born by the private sector. At the same time, she has specific ideas on how to seek drainage and transportation improvements in her district. And she seems wise in her observations on how politics is played on the county board. Democrat Barbara Hernandez, 24, is less knowledgeable and less skeptical of the push for more government spending. Pasetti-Olson is endorsed.