Lake County Board District 18 hopefuls tout public service records
Though each would be first-time Lake County Board members if elected, Hawthorn Woods Republican Kim Lynch and Vernon Hills Democrat Sara Frederick Knizhnik both have experience in local politics.
They are vying to represent District 18 on Nov. 8.
Lynch served as Hawthorn Woods village trustee from 2002 to 2007 before being appointed director of the village's parks and recreation department and running the village's Aquatic Center. Knizhnik is a Vernon Township trustee and gun violence prevention advocate.
Knizhnik helped establish the office of violence prevention in the Lake County state's attorney's office, which launched in June and staffs a team of 10 "violence interrupters." She advocated for three gun safety bills signed into law in Illinois, which she said drove support to federal gun bills that evolved into the Safer Communities Act.
President Joe Biden signed the Safer Communities Act into law in June.
Knizhnik said her passion is facilitating collaboration and she excels at communicating effectively, attributes she hopes to bring to the county board.
Lynch said she helped develop the Hawthorn Woods Aquatic Center as a trustee and once it was completed ran it as parks and recreation director. She hopes both those experiences will translate to the board.
"I formulated the planning, development and programming of the inaugural season," Lynch said. "I can offer my lengthy experience in the community, government planning, and collaborative approach."
Earlier this month, the Lake County Democrats group criticized Lynch for her conduct while leading the parks and recreation department. In 2011, an arrest warrant was issued for Lynch on two counts of felony forgery relating to her execution of a contract. In a subsequent federal lawsuit Lynch claimed she was fired because of her loyalties to the previous administration. She admitted to having executed the contract with Ela Soccer Club, where Lynch previously worked as a payroll administrator before being terminated for overpaying herself. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2013.
Lynch demurred in response to the criticism from Democrats.
"I want to minimize the issue," Lynch said. "There was a lawsuit filed, there were allegations within the lawsuit and the lawsuit has been dismissed, so that is all I have to say on the subject."
Knizhnik said county board members "must be above reproach as they direct hundreds of employees and allocate hundreds of millions of dollars."
Current District 18 board member Catherine Sbarra, who was appointed to the position in 2021, was deemed not eligible to run for reelection because her Lake Zurich residence ended up in a different district after boundaries were redrawn and size of the board was reduced from 21 to 19.
The new district includes portions of Lake Zurich, Echo Lake, Forest Lake, Prairie View and northern Long Grove.