Former Republican Kane County Board member to serve unexpired term through April 30 as petitions for April 6 election filing begins December 14

Returning to electoral politics for first time in nearly two years, former Kane County Board Member Maggie Auger was appointed by Acting Village President Debby Sosine to fill the unexpired term of Village Clerk Gerald Kautz, who passed away on October 1st.

Auger returns to the Algonquin’s municipal government after a 10-year absence, where she served as chair of the village’s Planning & Zoning Commission until November of 2010, when she resigned after being elected to the Kane County Board that year.

She went on to be reelected to two additional terms (2 & 4 years) serving a total of 8 years through 2018, when she chose not to seek reelection.

Earlier this month, the voters of Algonquin by a 2-to-1 margin defeated a referendum replacing the elected village clerk with an appointed clerk per returns from both McHenry and Kane counties:

• Yes: 5,335
• No: 10,391

With the referendum’s defeat, Algonquin village voters will be electing a clerk on April 6 at the municipal elections for a full, 4-year term.

The appointment of Auger as village clerk is important with the upcoming 2021 elections, since the clerk, along with the village president and the senior trustee comprise the 3-member electoral board, which will meet in December after petition filing ends on December 21 to determine ballot order, and after the April 6 election to officially canvass the village elections.

Issues like petition challenges for candidates for village offices will be heard by the electoral board.

With the passing of both Village President John Schmitt in late July and Village Clerk Jerry Kautz last month, the village’s electoral board is now comprised of:

• Acting Village President Debby Sosine
• Village Clerk Maggie Auger
• Senior Trustee Jim Steigert

Sosine’s current term as trustee ends in 2023 and her appointment as acting village president will end on April 30, when voters elect the next village president.

Thus far, neither Sosine or Auger have announced if they will be running for election on the April 6 ballot.

Algonquin elects its municipal governing board under election law which does not allow for a primary election in February if enough candidates file for certain offices. Therefore, petition filing in Algonquin begins on December 14 and ends on December 21.