When the postman came on Monday, the first day of early voting, there were envelopes from District 2 candidates Ken Koehler and Lyn Orphal.

I’m a big advocate of putting your message on the address side of the envelope, if a candidate is sending a letter.

As you can see Koehler did that and Orphal didn’t.

Without even opening the envelope, you can see that Koehler is running a better financed campaign. He uses color; Orphal uses black and white.

That difference is continued inside.

Koehler encloses a heavy card stock piece. Full color treatment.

On one side he touts

• Financial stability with a balance budget
• Transportation improvements, citing future improvements
• Groundwater protection to pass the first comprehensive groundwater protection ordinance in Illinois
• Economic Development – fostering responsible economic development

It is conceivable that Koehler may be called on the 2030 Plan’s not recognizing his hometown’s Watershed Ordinance. This was brought up by primary opponent Ellen Brady Mueller in the city council debate about moving forward to zone the property on Country Club Road in Ridgefield where Metra wants to build a train station on land half-owned by Koehler.

One interesting aspect of the side of the piece you see above is that it lists both elections. That means Koehler can use any left over literature this fall, assuming he wins the primary in which he is clearly the favorite.

The other side pretty much reiterates the points made on the more detailed, although it does add “Proactive land use planning” and improving “public transportation.”

His letter (click to enlarge), which is not in color, highlights his web site and talks about early voting, noting he brings “a unique perspective that is not offered elsewhere in the District 2 race” because of his nine years experience on the board with five years as chairman.

“Perhaps my greatest contribution to the county board so far has been my commitment to the protection of our groundwater supply,” Koehler writes.

Perhaps someone will ask him at Friday night’s Patriots United candidates’ night at 7 at McHenry County College whether that concern extends to recognizing the building restrictions imposed by the Crystal Lake Watershed Ordinance.

On the back of his letter are listed where one can vote early. Locally, the two places are Crystal Lake City Hall and the Algonquin Township Hall.

Lyn Orphal’s letter (click to enlarge) is printed in the cheaper black and white. She lists the committees on which she has served over the last ten years. For the last four years she has served as “chair” of Public Health and Human Services.
She also lists her being board liaison to the housing authority, senior service grant commission, the Workforce Investment Board and the McHenry County Economic Development Board.

Orphal accurately describes herself as a “veteran” board member and says, “I have been able to make a difference and want the opportunity to continue to do so.”

She is Executive Director of Leadership Greater McHenry County.

I can’t find a web site for her campaign.

What she doesn’t mention is the key role she played in killing the McHenry County Republican Cat Tax. She made the motion to kill it, bringing great surprise to Koehler, who was a strong supporter.

But both mailings were amateur night performances compared to the 8½ by 11 inch post card that arrived from challenger Donna Kurtz yesterday.

Mine arrived unbent sticking out from the other mail.

It also promotes early voting, but has polling places in Huntley (park district), which is not in the district, and, more importantly, Lake in the Hills (village hall), which is in District 2.

Kurtz says she is into

• Protecting the Future
• Ensuring Our Quality of Life

She says, she

• is principled, honest, and on our side
• will protect our quality of life (here she talks about safeguarding lake, fen, and stream watersheds, but does not specifically mention Crystal Lake’s Watershed Ordinance)
• will speak her mind and stand up for you (for some reason she does not give her best example, which was changing her mind from supporting the minor league baseball stadium in Crystal Lake’s watershed at McHenry County College, on whose board she serves)

Looking at the piece again, I notice that a photo on this side has her talking to old guys. It looks like a piece of Kurt Stobach cut crystal in the background.

The address side gives some background:

• Long family tradition of public service
• 23 years in corporate management overseeing multi-million budgets
• B.A. – Southern Illinois University
• MMA – University of Illinois – Springfield

And some experience:

• Office of Illinois Auditor General – Auditor
• McHenry County College Trustee (in 5th year)
• Republican Precinct Committeeman
• Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce member
• Former McHenry County Family Service Board member

Her pledges:

• I will be a County Board Member who will place the public good first
• I will dedicate myself to making life better for residents of my district
• I will keep you informed of issues facing our county
• I will fight for fiscal responsibility through smaller government

Naturally, Kurtz points to her web site.

Missing from the literature is that Kurtz has filled out the conflict of interest questionnaire. Koehler and Orphal have not.

Maybe that information will show up in a later comparison piece from Kurtz.