Lake Bluff Democrat Sandy Hart was elected to a third term as Lake County Board chair on Monday morning, beating out Republican Kevin Hunter of Ingleside, who mounted a long shot bid for the post.
Hart retained the position with 14 votes from the board’s Democrats, while Republicans Michael Danforth, Ann Maine, Hunter and newly sworn-in Adam Schlick abstained from the vote.
“Over the last four years, Sandy has done an outstanding job serving as a chair of this board,” Highland Park Democrat Paras Parekh said. “Sandy’s focusing on right sizing government, while prioritizing the care of our residents, especially when it comes to mental health services, which is so vitally important.”
After reassuming her chair seat, Hart emphasized that she and everyone on the board, “want to keep Lake County a great place to live and work.”
“Our board has just done tremendous things, and I’m really still proud to get to serve on the board,” Hart said. “I really want to thank you for your confidence.”
She thanked county staff for their day-to-day assistance, and said that soon the board will kick off its 2023 strategic planning process.
“There will be times when we disagree,” Hart said. “Everybody comes to the table with new ideas and a unique perspective, whether that’s a personal perspective or the needs and desires of the people in your district.”
Mary Ross Cunningham, a Democrat from Waukegan, also won a third term as the Lake County Board’s vice-chair. She won all 14 votes from Democrats, while the four Republicans present abstained from the vote.
When nominating Hunter for County Board chair, Danforth said Hunter would “actively pursue a bipartisan environment of the diversity of ideas, and sharing and fostering compromise.”
Danforth referred to constituents having been “very dismayed” at the Democrat-controlled board, “specifically over the mandatory garbage pickups that no one has ever requested, and the complete and total leaf burning ban in the county.”
Residents are allowed to burn “woody yard waste” from Nov. 1 to March 31 under the new county ordinance, instead of throughout the year.
The Lake County Board will also meet Dec. 13 to appoint its new Rules Committee, and will meet again on Dec. 14 if necessary.
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Angelo Kyle, who represents District 14 on the Lake County Board, was comfortably elected to another term as president of the Lake County Forest Preserves Board.
Republican Ann Maine ventured a long shot bid, garnering the four Republican votes on the floor, but Kyle won all 14 votes from Democrats.
Democrat John Wasik of Grayslake was elected to another term as Lake County Forest Preserves Board vice president by a unanimous count as well.
Three new board members, two Democrats and one Republican, were sworn in on Monday, too.
Twenty-six-year-old Esiah Campos became the first Latino member to take a seat on the County Board, representing District 16, which mostly consists of Round Lake, Round Lake Beach and Round Lake Park.
Adam Schlick of Wauconda, a Republican who represents District 2, took his oath of office. The new District 2 envelopes all of Wauconda and includes part of Round Lake, Grayslake and unincorporated Mundelein.
Sara Knizhnik, a Democrat from Vernon Hills, was sworn in to represent District 18, which includes some of Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich, Lincolnshire, Hawthorn Woods and Long Grove.
The new Lake County Board downsized to 19 from 21 members after eliminating two districts in a 2021 remap.