Are residents being heard in Wauconda? Mayoral candidates debate it

In the race for mayor in Wauconda, current village Trustee Jeff Sode is being challenged by Sandra Jo McClain, a social worker making her first run at public office who says the village isn't responding well enough to residents' concerns.

Mayor Lincoln Knight is not seeking reelection but instead is challenging incumbent Glenn Swanson for Wauconda Township Supervisor.

Three village trustee positions also are up for election April 6, but only the mayor's race is contested. Sode has two more years left on his term as trustee, so if he loses to McClain, he would remain on the board.

Candidates were asked during a Zoom interview with the Daily Herald why they're running.

"We have really done a lot of work to get the village where it's at today," said Sode, who has lived in town 24 years.

Sode, who works as vice president of special projects for the engineering construction firm ThermFlo Inc., noted the implementation of a long-range strategic plan.

"We're seeing a lot of progress, a lot of positive progress for the village and being on the board I want to continue that growth," he said.

Sode said the village is financially strong and had ample reserves to cover a 5% drop in revenue because of the pandemic without reducing services.

McClain says she has been immersed in the community for the 18 years she's lived in Wauconda and has volunteered at several levels. She said she was motivated to run in part because she believes the village government is not responsive to its residents.

"People's individual voices are not being heard," she said.

Through work and volunteer experiences, McClain said she has gained awareness of community concerns and needs based on factors including race, ethnicity, age, gender and sexual orientation.

"That's why I'm running - to stand in the gap for all of the people who haven't been heard," she said.

McClain did not share details but said she also has developed a strategic plan based on community input rather than what elected officials think the community should do or look like.

She contends the village has adopted policies, like smart policing, that don't fit the needs of residents. Segments of the population, including her neighborhood, are being ignored, according to McClain.

She cited a significant drop in police patrol as an example, saying little plastic bags with drug residue are being found.

"That impacts safety especially when little kids are riding their bikes around," she said. "How do we know that baggie wasn't laced with fentanyl?"

Sode, who chaired the village's police commission for five years, said he was unaware of a smart policing policy but gets a daily tally of neighborhoods patrolled by police.

"I can't specifically speak to how many times they patrol your neighborhood because I don't really analyze the list, but I can assure you, they are out patrolling. They do their job," he said.

"I'm not saying they're not doing their jobs," McClain countered. "I'm saying they're not patrolling like they used to patrol."

Sode said the village is responsive and has created a new website and program for residents to contact the village with concerns.

"We do a great job and we listen to what the residents say," Sode said. "We wouldn't have created a strategic plan designed to help the residents in long-term planning if we didn't care."