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Local voices: Tri-Cities election candidates share their visions
Thanks to the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County’s recent candidate forums (and the "Area Code: Batavia" podcast), Tri-Cities voters have plenty of new information to consider.
Sam Kraft
February 11, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
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📸 Credit: League of Women Voters of Central Kane County on Facebook
Thanks to the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County’s recent candidate forums (and “the Batavia podcast” as I colloquially call it), Tri-Cities voters have plenty of new information to consider.
Here’s an overview:
Geneva
Geneva
On Super Bowl Sunday, a standing-room-only crowd attended the Geneva Candidate Forum at the library.
Both mayoral candidates emphasized the importance of economic development and securing funding for Geneva projects. While Mayor Kevin Burns highlighted high city occupancy rates and ongoing progress with the city's strategic plan, challenger Karsten Pawlik called for a more aggressive approach to stalled developments — among other discussion points.
Watch: See a video recording of the Mayor and City Council forum.
Read: Check out the Shaw Local article.
Batavia
On February 4 at City Hall, incumbent Mayor Jeff Schielke and challenger Tom Connelly discussed their visions for Batavia. Schielke spoke to the city’s progress and successes during his 40+ years of leadership, while Connelly focused on downtown development projects and attracting businesses.
In other mayoral news, the “Area Code: Batavia” podcast released an interview with Mayor Jeff Schielke on Monday, during which the candidate reflected on his decades in office and deep connection to the city.
Watch: See a video recording of the Mayor and City Council forum.
Listen: The “Area Code: Batavia” episode featuring challenger Tom Connelly.
St. Charles
During a forum on January 29 at the St. Charles Public Library, incumbent Mayor Lora Vitek emphasized her experience and accomplishments (the revitalization of downtown, for example). Challenger Clint Hull shared his vision for leadership, transparency and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
Watch: See a video recording of the Mayor and City Council forum.
Watch: See a video recording of the forum for St. Charles candidates for Library Board and District 303 School Board on February 3.
📖 Thanks for reading
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