Schaumburg library incumbents have governed well

Robert Lyons, Robert Frankel and Ruth Jonen have tallied nearly a century of service on the Schaumburg Township District Library board combined. Their dedication is without question. Board challenger William Olson asserts that what is in question is their fiscal judgment.

Olson's main issue is that the board was imprudent with spending while sailing high on growing property values and is now unprepared to steer the ship through difficult times.

But the incumbents are decent, charitable people who have conscientiously guarded the taxpayers' money while also stewarding one of the finest library systems in the region. Olson's point about taking a hard look at spending priorities is well-taken, but he doesn't convince that he could do a better job or demonstrate the same passionate commitment to the library. As of last month, he also hadn't attended a library board meeting, which is troubling.

As for Anita Forte-Scott, the other incumbent vying for one of four board seats, it's also troubling that she has yet to sort out some tax liens on the day-care center she runs in Elgin. She said those were the result of an IRS error she's trying to fix, not delinquency on her part. But she's proven to be an independent voice on the board who's willing to compromise and is respected by board peers.

Frankel, Jonen, Lyons and Forte-Scott are endorsed.