Chris Lauzen Goes for Bi-Partisan Kane County Board Executive Committee

Newly-installed(after being elected at-large) Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen has included Latino Democrats as committee chairmen. All committee chairmen serve on what Kane County calls an “Executive Committee.”

The following article, written by a Kane County Friend of McHenry County Blog explains what has happened on the Committee assignment front.

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen Reorganizes County Board

Names 3 Latinos to Executive Committee, North-end majority on Transportation Committee with Maggie Auger as Committee Vice Chair

Lauzen looking rt with mike(GENEVA) — Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen (R, Aurora) reorganized the Kane County Board at its meeting on Tuesday by winning approval to implementing a Bi-partisan Executive Committee which includes 3 Latino members, naming 2 to lead Kane County Board committees.

In a move to implement bi-partisanship, Chairman Lauzen named 5 Democrats to the 15 voting members of Executive Committee of the County Board.

For the first time in Kane County’s history, 3 Latinos are members of the Executive Committee.

  • Dr. Monica Silva (D, Aurora) will lead the county’s Public Health Committee.
  • Cristina Castro (D, Elgin) will chair the Human Services Committee.
  • Board Member Jessie Vazquez (D, Aurora) is slated to Co-Chair the Legislative Committee once its organization is approved by the board in January, but his Executive Committee appointment was approved.

In a move to show the north-end of Kane County’s transportation needs merits great importance in the Lauzen administration, the county’s 7-member Transportation Committee includes Maggie Auger (R, Algonquin) as the committee’s vice chair, and Board Members T.R. Smith (R, Burlington, with district including Huntley’s Sun City), and freshmen Becky Gillam (R, West Dundee) and Joseph Haimann (D, Carpentersville). The Transportation Committee Chairman is Drew Frasz (R, Elburn), who was elected county board Vice Chairperson on Tuesday.

Additionally, Chairman Lauzen has proposed 2 additional standing committees,

  • Jobs and
  • Agriculture,

to address the needs of Kane County. These 2 committees, along with the Legislative Committee, will need board action at the January 15th meeting of the county board, since the committees were introduced for the first time on Tuesday.

Additionally, Chairman Lauzen has requested co-chairmen for the Jobs and the Legislative Committees.

This bi-partisan leadership is new to Kane County, and will be discussed at the next meeting of the Executive Committee.

The Chairman’s recommendations for the co-chairs of Legislative and Jobs, as well as the chair for Agriculture were named to the Executive Committee. Algonquin’s Maggie Auger is slated as the Co-chair of the Legislative Committee, and TR Smith will be named to lead the Agriculture Committee.

In another move to demonstrate Chairman Lauzen appoints the best members, regardless of tenure, freshman Board Member Kurt Kojzarek (R, Elgin) will chair the Energy & Environmental Committee.  Kojzarek, who resigned as the Elgin Township Clerk last month, will soon be moving to the Gilberts part of the 19th county board district, giving additional representation for the north-end of Kane County and one of the fastest growing communities.

The 9 standing committees plus the Executive Committee begins its work immediately.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *