Improving broadband access, controlling property taxes two topics in District 2 Kendall County Board race

Improving broadband access and property taxes were two of the topics discussed by Kendall County Board candidates for District 2 during a meet and greet event on Oct. 7 hosted by the Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kendall County Bar Association.

The board has partisan elections. Five Republicans are in the race along with five Democrats and an independent.

Three seats are open in district one and two seats are open in district two. Both are four-year terms.

District 2

Democrat Zach Bachmann, who has been on the Kendall County Board since 2022, is running for reelection. Improving broadband access for residents has been a goal of his.

More than 1,900 homes in Kendall County are considered unserved or underserved with internet access, according to county officials. Bachmann is chairman of Connect Kendall County Commission, which has been working to improve internet access.

The county has received a $15 million grant from the Illinois Office of Broadband. Created in September 2019, the Office of Broadband is housed within the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

With the grant award, the county plans to develop a public-private partnership that will result in more than $40 million in investment in a community-owned broadband network. The project is expected to kick off this fall.

"This is what local government is about," Bachmann said. "It's about real progressive change and delivering things for you and your family."

Democrat Savena Joiner is running for a seat on the Kendall County Board to ensure that Kendall County remains a place where all residents can thrive.

"As we continue to grow and evolve, it's vital that our county board is forward thinking, responsive and dedicated to serving every single member of our community," she said.

One of her top priorities is to make sure the Kendall County Health Department is adequately funded, especially to address the mental health crisis "that's happening with our children and young adults," Joiner said.

Joiner is a special education teacher.

"We cannot afford to let anyone, especially our youth, struggle without the support they need," she said.

Republican Diane Selmer has been an Oswego Township trustee for two terms. During her time on the board, she has tried to increase government transparency.

"With that in mind, what I did was work on implementing a transparent website," Selmer said. "We did receive an award from the Township Officials of Illinois as having one of the best websites in the state. So that makes me very proud."

If elected to the Kendall County Board, Selmer said she would keep property taxes in check.

"As a township trustee, I have never voted for a tax increase," she said. "What I can say is I love Kendall County. Kendall County is my home and I would like to help keep Kendall County a viable community for all of us."

Republican Dan Koukol was not able to speak at the event because he had a county board planning, building and zoning committee meeting that night. He has been on the Kendall County Board since December 2020.

In comments he made prior to the March general primary election, he talked about the importance of controlling property taxes.

"One of the big things that I've done here at the County Board is in my time here, I've never voted for a tax increase," Koukol said. "Property taxes are getting to the point where people are moving just because of the cost of living here in our district. So I've always tried to keep it where people can actually retire and stay here."