Endorsement: Sode for Wauconda village president

How Wauconda residents vote in the upcoming mayoral election will say a lot about their view of the current village and its government.

If they see village hall as a smooth operation that through years of fiscal discipline has been able to weather the pandemic without significant cuts in services or hikes in taxes, then village Trustee Jeff Sode is the choice to replace outgoing Village President Lincoln Knight. For those who may see village government as unresponsive to residents' concerns or lacking the innovation needed to thrive in today's climate, social worker Sandra Jo McClain is likely to earn their vote.

We see reasons to back both.

McClain, a political newcomer with a long record of volunteering in the community, brims with energy and ambitious ideas, such as a goal of bringing 20 news businesses to town by 2023. But she offers few details about how she would put her ideas into action or make her lofty goals a reality.

Sode, who chaired the village's police commission for five years before being elected trustee in 2019, is the status quo candidate. He offers little in the way of new ideas, but pledges to stay the course with the village's existing long-range plan, and focus on financial sustainability. Given the ongoing pandemic-related challenges that lie ahead, this may be a case where slow and steady wins the race. Sode's experience and record gives him an edge in that regard and we endorse him.