Democrats Hopp, Tepe on how they would serve Kane County District 25

Voters in Kane County District 22 will choose in Tuesday's Democratic primary between Randy Hopp, who touted his civic participation, and Vern Tepe, who wants to increase services for seniors and mental health.

Hopp, 68, who is retired, and Tepe, 78, who works in computer consulting and property investment, both live in Elgin. The winner will face Republican incumbent Doug Scheflow in the November election.

Hopp said he has been regularly attending the county board's committee of the whole meetings for more than 10 years and full meetings since fall 2015. "I would like to move up from being in the audience to being at the table and have the opportunity to participate," he said. "Certainly I know the players, I know the procedure. I fit in."

Hopp said he doesn't have an agenda because no single individual can dictate what the 24-member county board decides. "I would be a team player," he said.

Tepe agreed, saying, "As one member of the board, you can't go out and make serious change on your own." Tepe, who serves on the Elgin Township board, said he works well with both Democrats and Republicans.

Hopp said the county board should increase funding for the public defender's office and push the Kane County coroner's office to be more efficient. It has done a good job on holding the line on property taxes for a few years but that can't last forever, he said.

Tepe said he would first look at increasing other sources of county revenues, such as sales taxes or service fees.

Tepe said he wants the county to expand transportation and nutrition services for seniors. He called himself a "major, major advocate" of improving access to mental health services, saying he wants to better understand how the county could provide such services of its own.

Tepe also wants to push for the use of renewable energy and curb the depletion of water aquifers in the growing western portion of the county, he said.

Hopp is a former trustee for the Gail Borden Public Library who, for a time, was banned from the library due to clashes with staff. He was charged with stealing campaign signs in 2017 and filed an appeal to his conviction. Hopp said that's old news and people should focus on the positive.