Name: Ellen Nottke

What office are you seeking: Kane County Board District 2 (2 yr term)

What is your political party?

What is your current age? 71

Occupation and employer: Political Consultant

What offices, if any, have you previously held? none

City: Batavia Twp (unicorporated)

Campaign website: None

Education: High School Graduate (Proviso West High school)

Some College (Triton College)

Community involvement: I have been a citizen activist since the day I moved to Batavia Twp in August, 1990. I got involved because of issues that had an immediate impact on me and my neighbors. From getting speed limits addressed to controlling the size of developments, I’ve been active. I was appointed by a former county board chairman to serve on the Public Siting Committee after Settlers Hill landfill announced that they would be closing. Our task was to find an appropriate site for a 600 acre garbage dump west of Rte 47, hold public hearings and reporting back to the board with recommendations. Eventually the idea of siting it in Kane County was killed and it moved to DeKalb County. I was also asked by another board chairman to help a group of citizens from the northern part of the county who were opposed to a proposed leaf burning ban. At the time the townships did not have the equipment to dispose of the leaves. Eventually that changed and the ban became effective in the unincorporated areas of the county.

Marital status/Immediate family: Widow (3 year)

Married for 50 years to my husband. 2 daughters, 3 grandsons

What are your top three priorities for this district?

a. Promote economic growth to expand quality job opportunities. We need open and transparent conversation to promote economic stability.

b. Balance the budget without sacrificing necessary services

c. Promote safe communities by working closely with the sheriff’s Office to ensure that our concerns are addressed.

d. I have a fourth priority because of where I live and our proximity to farm land, forest preserves and our use of ground water and that is to conserve and protect our natural resources for future generations.

Should the County Board regulate short-term rentals? If so, what regulations would you want to see?

Since the county can only regulate short-term rentals in the unincorporated areas, I believe that there should be strict regulations to ensure the tranquility of the community. Rental permits should be issued and the homeowner must show proof of liability insurance and fire suppression systems. We should regulate the number of cars that can be parked at the residence as well as enforced quiet time hours. These are just a few ideas. We need to study the impact on the neighborhood before approving short-term rentals in any given area. We must also listen to the residents that will be impacted by such properties.

How would you like to see the former Fabyan Parkway jail site redeveloped? Should all or part of the property be sold?

Yes the property should definitely be sold. Not only would it be money that can go back into the county budget, it would also be a continuous revenue stream through sales taxes for many years. The proximity to the cross- country track, golf course, Ice rink and Cougars Stadium would make for a perfect weekend retreat for families. Since the destruction of Pheasant Run in DuPage County, a convention center/hotel would bring more opportunities for national conventions to be held in Central Kane County.

Last year, the board was divided on a “We Stand Against Hate Week” proclamation. What is your view on it?

This proclamation declaring that “we stand against hate” was symbolic in nature. Of course, we need to stand against hate. Unfortunately hate and violence have always existed as a disturbing part of society. In recent years we have been an eyewitness to documented escalation in political and hate based violence that threatens our country and puts all of our communities at risk. We need to take a step back from all the rhetoric and realize we must stand together to oppose bigotry of every kind. Nobody should be judged by the color of their skin, their religion, their sexual orientation. And no one should have their first amendment right to free speech stifled because someone else doesn’t like it.

I think this proclamation was brought up at the county board level by those board members who felt the need to censure one of their own for comments made against the LGBTQ+ community. While the comments were not appropriate, the individual chose to leave his seat on the board and spoke from the podium as a private citizen. He was afforded his first amendment right to speak his mind just as every other member of the public that comes before the board does without interference. If we want to lead change we should lead by example. Fly the Pride flag, not just for a day a week or a month. Fly it proudly next to the American Flag in from of our government center from the flag pole right next to our US flag in front of our government center as a reminder thatall people are welcome without prejudice.

The Kane County Board has limited federal immigration enforcement on county property. Do you support that move? Do you support the Illinois TRUST Act more broadly and what, if any, reforms to it would you like to see?

Yes I support the resolution that Kane County Board passed. And I agree with your statement the board has limited federal immigration enforcement on county property. The Attorney General realized that the public was confused on what the TRUST Act stood for and released a summary stating “the TRUST Act prohibits state and local law enforcement from participating or assisting in the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.”

Immigration is governed by federal law. This is not an issue for the county board.

The county board is expected to have another tight budget season this year. Looking ahead, if you must decide between raising the property tax levy or cutting programs, what would your choice be? What specific areas of spending would you prioritize cutting? How much further are you willing to dip into reserve funds to avoid program cuts? Do you support the diversion of RTA revenue from transportation to public safety?

As a taxpayer, the portion of the tax bill that supports the county sheriff’s office, county jail, state attorney, court systems, voting, marriage, birth, marriage, death certificates, health department, etc is under 5% of our total tax bill. When people complain about their high tax bills they need to look more closely to the nearly 70% that go to our local schools. By law, government can take up to 5% annually based on the current CPI (Consumer Price Index). Because it had remained frozen for 12 years, it took away thousands of dollars that could have been used to supplement the budget. By finally taking the levy now it will be years before we can recoup that money that was lost.

I think that when we begin the budget process again, each department head and elected official need to create a list of needs versus wants. We need to be as realistic with this as we would with our own money. We want to go around the world, but maybe we need to settle for Disneyland, We want a Corvette but we need a Ford Focus. We cannot tell an elected official how to spend the money allotted to them. However, we can hope that they realize that we are all in this together. Do we rob Peter to pay Paul? Do we use motor fuel taxes to increase public safety or do we skimp on public safety to fix our roads? The idea of a satellite office in Elgin for the Health Department was a great idea and was purchased through grant funding by the Health Department. Now all departments want a satellite office in the same building too. If the board allows this to happen, then each office or department that creates a satellite there needs to find the funding to contribute to that process without putting the financial burden on the on the backs of the Health Department or the taxpayers.

People are tired of paying taxes, which goes without saying. We all need to take a hard look at priorities. What do we need to do to continue to accomplish great things for the people of Kane County?

Along those lines, are you willing to consider other new revenue sources like asking voters again to approve a countywide safes tax increase or increasing the motor fuel tax?

If we choose to go back to the taxpayers with a sales tax referendum, we need to handle it differently than it was handled the first time. We need to have a message and not vary from it and we need to begin educating the voters on the need at least a year in advance. I think the county should appoint a panel of private citizens from all walks of life. Educate them on what a sales tax increase means and the burden it will place on the public. Let these private citizens take the message to the people through public forums throughout the county. Hold public hears to get input from everyone. Take that information back to the County Board. At that point, the board will decide if it’s feasible to place the question on the ballot.

One financial stressor is the end of COVID-19 relief dollars. What should the county do with programs funded by federal COVID-19 dollars?

If those programs were not in the budget prior to receiving COVID-19 funds then those programs need to be eliminated. Asking for money to continue to fund those programs once the COVID money is gone only exacerbates budget woes. It would probably mean letting people go that were getting paid by those monies. The county should have taken into consideration what the final outcome would be once those funds were used up. If those programs were deemed necessary then we need to find other ways to continue them through other grant opportunities or else these need to end.

What is your stance on solar energy facilities or data centers on agricultural land? Does the risk of lawsuits factor into your stance? What about battery storage?

Solar energy and data centers are our future however, I think we are moving too fast. Solar panels have a life expectancy of 25-30 years. However, we need to factor in that accidents, weather, human error, etc., take place that are out of our control. Studies suggest that these panels are recyclable, that is only partially true. Until they are 100% recyclable we need to slow down. Issues like space requirements, maintenance costs, aesthetic concerns, grid dependency, limited efficiency and regulatory challenges are just some of the issues we don’t have definitive answers for yet.

Datacenters create another set of concerns. These digital hubs are growing fast, creating real concerns by communities that they impact. On a daily basis, datacenters use about 5 million gallons of water, about as much as a town of 50,000 people use. The biggest threat created by these centers is the affect they have on the electrical grid. If there is a need to continue building these datacenters, they need to work with the communities they impact to become self-sufficient. Creating retention ponds on the property and recycling the water they use continuously would be something that should be discussed. Also, because they warehouses have flat roofs, they should be required to place solar panels on them and generate their own electricity. Development of this type requires transparency, accountability and community’s involvement.

We need balanced solutions that recognize both the economic benefits and environmental costs of these two hot button issues.