The Daily Herald Editorial Board

Before reading the endorement below, please view the Daily Herald-moderated debate between President Nelson and his opponent from February 2021. The Daily Herald partially based its endorsement of President Nelson on the linked debate. The full text of the Herald endorsement follows.

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Chris Nelson has been a solid village president for West Dundee since he was first elected eight years ago.

 

We heartily endorsed him then without his having had any elected experience. We banked on his master's degree in public administration and professional experience.

 

Nelson at that time had spent a decade working for the city of Sycamore and the villages of Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates -- municipalities known for their ability to bring in commercial revenue.

 

He is now in the private sector as director of government regulatory affairs for Comcast.

Nelson did not disappoint in his first term -- or his second.

 

He knows that Spring Hill Mall will never be what it was before the Randall Road commercial explosion first drew attention away from it and then online shopping and people's tastes changed for all but the biggest regional malls in the country. He understands the cycles that businesses go through. He understands the importance of a diversified tax base and points to the growth in office/industrial development during his tenure.

 

His opponent, Joe Connell, does not understand any of this, and it's clear he hasn't made much of an effort to learn it.

 

He has no complaints about Nelson's performance. He grew up hearing stories from the fathers of friends who had been village president. And as a child he decided he wanted to have his name in that book as mayor, as he puts it. But, until Connell puts in the homework to learn how a municipality functions, he can't be considered a serious candidate.

 

Nelson is endorsed.