Two seats — representing Districts 2 and 9 — remain vacant on the Kane County Board as the March 17 primary election nears, with discussion continuing about how and when the seats will be filled.
Kane County’s 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 resident of North Aurora and a four-term village president, and had been serving on the Kane County Board since 2021.
The board sought applications for Berman’s seat and made several attempts to appoint someone to fill the position until it’s up for election in the fall of 2026, but ultimately failed to vote in a candidate in November. The situation prompted some concern from board members about the transparency of the selection process and the board’s procedure for appointing candidates.
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 at the end of 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, an appointment by the board to the seat would only last through November, when candidates for both seats will be voted on by residents in the fall general election.
Currently, there are three candidates, all running as Democrats, 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, there are two Republican candidates — Jennifer Abbatacola and Jeffrey R. Magnussen — running in the primary election, along with one Democratic candidate, Marc A. Guttke.
The general election is set for Nov. 3.
The board last week discussed how 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 if it would be before the March primary — noting that that 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 had argued that appointing a candidate in the running in 2026 might give that individual an advantage in the upcoming election.
Sanchez pointed out that a candidate who had been recommended by the board’s search committee has since removed herself from the ballot, which he noted “kind of solves the problem.”
Pierog on Jan. 13 noted that she had followed state statute when making a recommendation, but that her picks for candidates to fill the District 2 seat were rejected by the board.
Board member Michelle Gumz said she was not opposed to waiting until after the March primary to appoint a candidate, and that she thinks it is “safe for (Pierog) to go ahead and say that that’s what the intention might be.”
But Pierog said she needed to confer with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
According to state statute, a vacancy on the board needs to be filled within 60 days of it occurring, with the new member appointed by the county board chair with “the advice and consent” of the board. The District 2 vacancy is now beyond the 60-day window.
State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said “yes and no” in response to the concerns raised by Pierog.
“We’re under an obligation where we should be filling that seat because that district deserves to have a voice in votes,” Mosser said at last week’s meeting. “The issue is somebody within that district could potentially sue if we remain inactive.”
As for the District 9 seat, Pierog said on Jan. 13 that a committee of board members has been formed to evaluate the candidates. Once applications are in, she said, there will be two meetings of that committee. It will review the candidates’ resumes and bring forward a recommendation to the full board, which has to vote to approve a candidate.
A county spokesperson confirmed on Jan. 15 that the candidates for both seats are being reviewed, with plans to bring recommendations forward to the county board in February.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
