The incumbent and two challengers running for the Democratic nomination to represent District 5 in the Naperville area on the DuPage County Board recently met for a Zoom forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Naperville.
Officeholder Sadia Covert of Naperville is seeking a third term, while Naperville City Council member Ian Holzhauer, and Marylee Leu, president of the DuPage County Regional Office of Education board of school trustees, are running for their first chance to serve the county.
The candidates are squaring off in the March 17 primary for the Democratic nomination. The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election to face Republican candidate and Naperville Park District Commissioner Chris Jacks. The winner in November will earn a four-year term.
The Democratic candidates shared their backgrounds and priorities with listeners to the League of Women Voters’ forum, hosted Feb. 10, as well as their thoughts on key issues affecting the county.
Data centers
The Naperville City Council denied a proposal last month to build a data center at the former Nokia, or Alcatel-Lucent, building just north of I-88. But the topic was still top-of-mind for the League of Women Voters, which asked county board candidates to explain, “what factors will guide your decisions regarding the regulation or support of data centers in DuPage County?”
Covert took the question first. An attorney who has held a county board seat since 2018, Covert said zoning regulations, constituent opinions and the facts of any specific proposal would guide her.
“There’s a lot of layers to it,” Covert said data center considerations. “We have to take it very seriously and consider all the constituents, see what the harms and benefits are. We have to look at the whole picture before we decide.”
Holzhauer, an attorney and Air Force veteran who has served on the Naperville City Council since 2021, said “the vast majority of my constituents” would not want a data center near their homes. He voted against the proposed data center in Naperville.
“I can promise you this — whether or not you vote for me — if I am serving you, you are my boss,” Holzhauer said. “I work for you, the constituents, and your interests are what come first.”
Leu, a Navy veteran who works as a project manager with clients including Accelerate Climate Solutions, said her data center vote “would probably be a no,” from an environmental standpoint. But she understands “people are not going to give up their tech,” so data centers have to go somewhere. If the county were to consider one, Leu said the operator would “have to pay its full due.”
“The environmental impact would need to be paid first, before going forward,” Leu said.
Addressing food and housing insecurity
To help families facing a lack of food, Holzhauer said the county needs to remember it’s about “more than just calories — it’s more than just sustenance. Food security is a matter of dignity.”
He said government also needs to cut through the “red tape in getting affordable housing projects through.” Holzhauer said he’s working to develop an inclusionary zoning ordinance in Naperville that could require developments of a certain size to include a number of affordable units.
Leu said she wants to explore “potential tiny housing options with shipping containers, utilizing our local colleges to partner with their architecture programs to come up with new plans for layouts,” which could be placed on unused land to help address homelessness.
She proposed further support of nonprofits that address food insecurity as well as extension of more “income-eligible programs that would help that burden and also ease the process of getting access” to needed food.
Covert said she supports allowing accessory structures on residential properties to be rented to non-family members, and she’s pitching in as the county works to gain the ability to create land banks, “so we can provide more affordable housing.”
She said she often spends her “member initiative” dollars to support food banks and local produce growers.
“I’ve always supported every food pantry in the entire county,” Covert said. I have never said no to them.”
Balancing services with tax burden
Leu said balancing the need to provide services with the desire to keep taxes low comes down to making hard decisions — something she’s prepared to do.
“And that’s what is expected from leaders, is to show up and make those decisions,” Leu said.
Covert said the county’s taxing ability is limited because it does not have home rule authority. So the board often looks to other means, including sales taxes or donations, to fund initiatives such as the new mental health Crisis Recovery Center.
“Sometimes it feels like, at the county, you have one hand tied behind your back, and you’re trying to fund all these projects,” Covert said. “But we’ve been doing a great job, and our county is a gold standard in the state.”
Holzhauer said he would look for instances when spending to improve a program or service can lead to future savings. He said he expects this to happen with Naperville’s newly approved mobile crisis intervention team, which he supported, to create a team of police officers who respond specifically to mental health calls.
“A lot of times, there are reforms, there are new ideas and things that — in the short run there is a cost associated with it,” Holzhauer said. “But in the long run, not only are the benefits to our community incredible, but the costs savings are real.
Stay in the know – sign up for our daily news update!
