Village Trustees Discuss Issues at Forum

Audience members became part of the event and wrote down questions for village trustee candidates during the candidate forum on Sunday at the Huntley Park District. 

The village trustees running for election are

Candidates answered questions and discussed a number of issues, including road expansions, the possibility of a new hospital and the telecommunications tax. 

The telecommunications tax is a tax for infrastructure improvement including roads, connections and so on and costs a few extra dollars for each member of the community. 

DeMaertelaere said the district needs the tax because the population is growing and needs to be supported. 

Hanson added that sometimes community members need to bear the burden of extra taxes. 

An audience member posed the question of what the members would like to see happen in the community over the next five years. 

DeMaertelaere wants to see an extension of Algonquin Road beyond Huntley, because there is a shortage of roads going westbound and she said the McHenry County Department of Transportation should be contacted about this.

“We need more routes going from the east to west side,” DeMaertelaere said.  “We are a growing community and not everyone works in town.”

Current road improvement projects include Ernesti Road and Kreutzer Road and the widening of Route 47.

Leopold said he would like to see more specialty shops come to the downtown area of Huntley and the revitalization of the Huntley Outlet Center. 

Other candidates agreed with this statement. 

“I would like to see the outlet mall one hundred percent occupied with shops and restaurants so people on Route 47 will get off,” Hanson said.

Kanakaris said he would like to see more businesses, offices and other industrial centers in the district.

“I want Huntley to be a destination for shoppers in this county,” Kadakia added. 

Leopold and Westberg said the biggest challenge they have is going to be keeping local businesses attractive to the community and bringing in new businesses as well. 

There was also mention of a new hospital and gas station coming to Huntley. 

“The state of Illinois needs to approve it,” Westberg said.

A hospital is projected to bring 1,100 medical jobs and 800 construction jobs.

In addition, Hanson is also currently working on bringing a BP gas station to Huntley, north of the car wash on Route 47.