Will County Board leadership could change, but party split remains even

The November election did not change the 50-50 party split between Democrats and Republicans on the Will County Board, but board leadership likely will change.

Democrats should have the votes to make board member Joe Van Duyne, D-Wilmington, board chairman on Monday, said member and Democratic leader Jacqueline Traynere, D-Bolingbrook.

The board meets Monday to swear in new members and elect a board chair.

Traynere said she expects all Democrats at the meeting for the leadership vote, which would be different from two years ago, when Republicans were able to take advantage of a Democratic member’s absence to name Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, as chair.

“Everybody’s very excited about attending Monday,” Traynere said Friday.

After the 2022 election and again after the Nov. 5 election, the board is evenly divided between 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans.

But County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat who was reelected Nov. 5, breaks tie votes and likely would break an 11-11 vote on the party chair in favor of a Democrat.

Van Duyne was poised to become chair after the 2022 election.

But member Denise Winfrey, D-Joliet, left the reorganization meeting before the leadership vote to catch a plane for an event of the National Association of Counties, of which she was president at the time.

Traynere said she does not expect a similar surprise Monday.

“I do expect a Democratic chair/speaker,” she said. “I’m fairly certain it will be Joe Van Duyne.”

Will County is one of only two counties in Illinois that have a county executive, who has the administrative authority that otherwise lies with board chairs.

But the board chair in Will County does have authority to set County Board agendas, providing some control over county business. In Will County, where debates often divide on partisan lines, the party affiliation of the board chair is likely to make a difference.

Ogalla could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.

But she did make a statement in a news release this week commenting on the change of board membership.

“Change is a great part of our political process,” Ogalla said. “While it is always hard to see people you have worked with leave, it is great to have the opportunity to work with new people. My hope is to build on everything we have done together and move forward to create the best Will County for our residents.”

Two departing County Board members lost their reelection bids: Janet Diaz, D-Joliet, and Meta Mueller, D-Aurora. Member Natalie Coleman, D-Joliet, did not run for reelection.

They are being replaced by Democrats Herbert Brooks Jr., D-Joliet, Dawn Bullock, D-Plainfield, and Kelly Hickey, D-Naperville.

Reelected for another term were Winfrey; Vince Logan, R-Joliet; and Julie Berkowicz, D-Naperville.

Six of the 22 County Board positions were on the Nov. 5 ballot in Districts 6, 7 and 10.