St. Charles Library Board race remains too close to call

The race for the two open spots on the St. Charles Library Board remains too close to call.

Incumbent library board Trustee Karen Kaluzsa, along with Bonnie Dauer, Allison Lanthrum and Anthony Catella, are running for the two six-year terms open on the board.

According to the latest results from Kane and DuPage counties, Dauer has 3,101 votes, making her the front-runner. As of late Thursday afternoon, unofficial results show Lanthrum has 2,847 votes compared to Kaluzsa's 2,755 votes, a 92-vote margin. Catella received 2,189 votes.

The last day for counting provisional and vote-by-mail ballots is April 18.

Kaluzsa has been on the board since 2017. Lanthrum is endorsed by AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Council 31.

In July 2021, the majority of employees at the St. Charles Public Library filed to form a union through AFSCME. The union was certified in November 2021.

St. Charles Public Library employees addressed library board trustees on Feb. 8 to voice their frustrations over contract negotiations. The union has been negotiating with the board since April 2022.

Some of the outstanding issues revolve around employees not being given enough hours and not being paid a fair salary and benefits. The library's administration and managers are not part of the union. Last month, the library board announced a proposal to bring all library employees up to $15 an hour as part of its latest offer with the union.