Districts 2 and 9 still without board members in Kane County

Two seats – representing Districts 2 and 9 – remain vacant on the Kane County Board heading into the March 17 primary election, with discussions continuing over how and when the seats will be filled.

The Kane County District 2 board seat has been vacant since early October, when board member Dale Berman died at the age of 91. Berman was a longtime North Aurora resident and four-term village president, and had served on the Kane County Council since 2021.

The board solicited nominations for Berman’s seat and repeatedly attempted to nominate someone to fill the position until the fall 2026 election, but ultimately failed to vote for a candidate in November. This situation gave rise to some concerns on the part of the jury members regarding the transparency of the selection process and the procedure for nominating candidates by the jury.

As for District 9, that seat opened after former board member Gary Daugherty resigned in December, citing illness as the reason for his departure.

The county began seeking candidates to fill Daugherty’s seat late last month and was accepting applications until Jan. 14. Last week, the board officially declared the seat vacant at its regular meeting.

In both districts, the board’s appointment to the seat would only last until November, when candidates for both seats will be voted on by residents in the fall general election.

Currently, three candidates, all Democratic candidates, are vying for the District 2 seat in the March 17 primary election, according to records from the Kane County Clerk’s Office: Ellen Nottke, Martha Davidson and Matthew Dingeldein. For District 9, two Republican candidates – Jennifer Abbatacola and Jeffrey R. Magnussen – are running in the primary election, as well as a Democratic candidate, Marc A. Guttke.

General elections are set for November 3.

The board discussed last week how the seats would be filled and whether the seats would be filled before the November election.

Board member Jarett Sanchez asked about the District 2 vacancy and when another appointment would be made, and whether it would take place before the March primary — noting that this had been a concern when the board was discussing filling the District 2 seat in November. At the time, Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog argued that appointing a candidate running in 2026 could give that person an advantage in the next election.

Sanchez pointed out that a candidate who was recommended by the board’s search committee has since withdrawn from the ballot, which he said “kind of solves the problem.”

Pierog noted Jan. 13 that she followed state law in making a recommendation, but that her candidate choices to fill the District 2 seat were rejected by the board.

Board member Michelle Gumz said she wasn’t opposed to waiting until after the March primary to nominate a candidate, and that she thought it was “prudent for (Pierog) to go ahead and say that might be his intention.”

But Pierog said she had to speak with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Under state law, a vacancy on the board must be filled within 60 days of its occurrence, with the new member appointed by the county board president with the “advice and consent” of the board. The District 2 vacancy is now past the 60-day window.

State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said “yes and no” in response to the concerns raised by Pierog.

“We have an obligation to fill this seat because this district deserves to have a voice,” Mosser said at last week’s meeting. “The problem is that someone in this district could potentially file a lawsuit if we remain inactive.”

As for the District 9 seat, Pierog said Jan. 13 that a committee of board members had been formed to evaluate the candidates. Once applications are received, she said, there will be two meetings of this committee. He will review candidate resumes and present a recommendation to the full board, which must vote to approve a candidate.

A county spokesperson confirmed Jan. 15 that candidates for both seats were being reviewed and there were plans to present recommendations to the county board in February.

mmorrow@chicagotribune.com