Kane County Board candidates disagree on time commitment

The two candidates in the race for the Kane County Board’s 22nd District have different takes on who could better serve the residents — a full-time employee or someone who is retired.

Douglas Scheflow, 55, an attorney with his own firm that’s been in Elgin for 27 years, intends to fit his job around his board duties if he wins the Nov. 6 election.

The 22nd District includes parts of western Elgin and Elgin Township.

The Republican says his flexible schedule means he can make his own appointments and have his partner cover for him in court. His wife can help him out with constituent phone calls.

Scheflow said he wouldn’t have run for the seat if he couldn’t commit to doing the job.

“I think it’s doable,” Scheflow said. “Because of the type of job I have, I’m not going to get told I have to go to Omaha by the home office or something. I am the home office and ... I’m in Elgin and Geneva during the week. I can set my own schedule and should be able to fulfill my duties.”

But opponent Bob Getz, 69, of Elgin, says he’s the better man for the job because he’s retired and can devote a large chunk of his time to county board responsibilities.

What’s more, the Democrat is now a trustee on the Elgin Community College board. He said he would resign from that board if he’s elected to the county board.

Getz worked full time at the beginning of one of his ECC terms, which he said prevented him from making all of the committee meetings. He said was left relying on his colleagues to tell him what happened at meetings he missed and offer advice on which way he should vote on certain issues.

“It was extremely difficult to keep up with what was going on,” Getz said. “I made the meetings that you were supposed to make but the problem is is that there were other things that happen that you miss. It’s an extremely difficult thing to do, this type of a position as a part-time basis.”

Getz says he hasn’t had that problem since retirement from Harper College, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the U.S. Army.

Scheflow countered that not every board member can go to every committee meeting. He added that he would make it a priority to attend certain meetings, like the ones that involve the finance committee.

“You’ve got to let the appropriate committees take the lead on some of those subjects,” he said.

Both men are running for the seat now occupied by Jackie Tredup, who is not seeking re-election.