At Tuesday morning’s County Board meeting, I will present my selection of Maria Vazquez to fill the balance of her late-husband’s term as representative of Kane County Board District 8.

In my opinion, Maria is the right person to represent the constituents of the Montgomery-Aurora district, the 530,000 residents of Kane County and the spirit of Jesse Vazquez.

We received several highly-qualified applicants for the vacancy in District 8. By state statute, the appointment has to be a member of Jesse’s political party (Democratic) and a resident of District 8. My responsibility is to select his replacement to serve the 18-month remainder of his four-year term, with advice and consent from our 23 board members.

The most influential voices in the decision-making process have been constituents from District 8 who have contacted me and County Board members from the Democratic Party in the Montgomery and Aurora areas, especially Theresa Barreiro, Ron Ford, Dr. Monica Silva and Brian Pollock. I am grateful for their combined wisdom, along with others, and trust that their colleagues will confirm this selection.

Maria Vazquez has been a longtime resident of County Board District 8. She has raised a family there, and she experiences the consequences of our county decisions alongside her neighbors every day.

There is no one who knows Jesse Vazquez’ mind and heart better than Maria. In fact, they shared the same dream for their neighborhood and effectively campaigned together to represent those local interests. Quite often, the first person who answers the constituent telephone call in the evening or on weekends is the incumbent’s spouse. In local government, we are our neighbors’ “citizen representatives,” and Maria has been active in that role.

Professionally, Maria serves as the point of contact for students, parents, faculty and visitors as the receptionist at Thompson Junior High School in the Oswego Community School District 308. She understands frontline constituent service, and she cares deeply about her community.

Her passion for service was reflected in her application letter.

“My decision to submit my name as (Jesse’s) replacement for the remainder of the term was not a difficult one to make,” she said. “I would like to represent him in the hopes of keeping his spirit alive within the community by supporting the causes that Jesse felt so passionately about.”

In Kane County government, we strive to build consensus, and our decisions are almost always bipartisan. We treat each other with professionalism and respect, and we honor those who have contributed to our common welfare.

If the full County Board consents to Maria Vazquez’s appointment, we will conduct a brief swearing-in ceremony at the conclusion of tomorrow 9:45 a.m. meeting. We have a packed agenda, but we should be finished with our ordinary business by 11:15 a.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Chris Lauzen
Kane County Board Chairman