Public Safety & Services
What are Ed's positions on important services that are provided within our community?
Police Department
I’m very proud to say that our village has an exemplary police department. Police Chief Levand and our officers and staff continue to provide essential services to our community with honor and unrelenting commitment. On a regular basis they are both dealing with difficult and potentially dangerous situations while also lending a helping hand to our community – and they do so without any recognition or fanfare. Their training and procedures are first rate and recognized as exemplary by independent review. These unsung heroes both protect and serve our community while staying on budget and effectively utilizing the resources available to them.
In addition, much of the community outreach and activities that highlight our wonderful community and help citizens in need are organized and carried out by our police department. Quietly and with dignity they provide genuine compassion to those in our community that might need a helping hand. Through their extra efforts our small community also has the resources of the now semi-retired K-9 Officer Koda – which is paid for completely through donations.
I can’t say enough good things about our Village of Campton Hills police department, Chief Levand, and the officers and staff. Thank you all for your exemplary service to our community.
Fire & Rescue
While the Village of Campton Hills does not have its own fire department or emergency medical services, we are fortunate to receive these essential services from the Fox River & Countryside, Elburn & Countryside, Pingree Grove, South Elgin, and Burlington Fire and Rescue Districts.
The regularity with which these life-saving men and women are called to action within our community is more frequent than some might realize, and we all depend on their ability to rapidly deploy the right personnel and equipment to effectively respond to an emergency and reduce the negative impacts as much as possible. They are true heroes within our community, and they certainly deserve our support.
The fire & rescue districts that provide service to the Village of Campton Hills are supported by a portion of property taxes paid directly to them and they are completely separate from the village.
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Streets, Roads, & Right-of-Way
The Village of Campton Hills does not have a “public works” or “highway” department. This eliminates the need for additional employees, benefits & pensions, and equipment. Instead, our village has entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Campton Township Highway District. The Township already has the necessary employees and equipment for snow plowing, roadside mowing, brush pickup, culvert repairs, and road maintenance.
Our village pays the township the motor fuel tax funds and any other funds from the State of Illinois which would have been received by the township for the maintenance of roads if the village had not been incorporated. Decisions concerning which roads receive attention from the township and in what priority are made by the township with input from the village's Public Works Committee.
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In addition to the Campton Township Highway District, some roads in Campton Hills are maintained by the Illinois Department of Transportation (e.g. Route 64), while others are maintained by the Kane County Department of Transportation (e.g. Burlington Road).
The agreement with the township is an effective solution that controls costs for the village while allowing the township to maintain its employee count, equipment pool, and ability to effectively service our community’s needs.
Water & Sewer
While many homes in our village have their own private well & septic systems, there are a large number of homes and businesses that are connected to a municipal water and sewer service. These include Wasco, Fox Mill, The Farmstead, Fox Creek , Norton Lake, Downtown Wasco, Fox Mill Square, Campton Centre, and Campton Square. The Wasco Sanitary District provides the water and wastewater services to these areas as a completely separate entity from the Village of Campton Hills.
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The Wasco Sanitary District is its own stand-alone organization, which is another cost-effective decision by the village to not have the expense of a public works/water/sewer department.​
Park District & Library
While the Village of Campton Hills doesn’t have its own park district, we do receive the benefit of multiple beautiful recreational areas provided by the Kane County Forest Preserve District and the Campton Township Parks & Open Space – which are paid for through the portions of property taxes for the county and the township. In addition, the neighboring St Charles Park District’s parks, facilities, swimming pools, and programs are available either to the public or by paying a non-resident fee per use – instead of paying taxes to support a park district.
Campton Hills also does not have its own library, but through our property taxes paid to the Elgin Community College residents do have access to the ECC library. In addition, the St. Charles and Elburn libraries are available for an annual non-resident fee, which is based on the same calculation used to determine the library tax for residents of St. Charles and Elburn.
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If you’re a resident of St. Charles or Elburn you pay this tax whether you ever set foot in a library or not. However, if you live in Campton Hills you can choose to pay to use the St Charles or Elburn libraries – or you can choose not to. Once you understand that you have a choice to pay the same rate that the residents of those library districts have to pay whether they like it or not, it makes sense to keep it like it is – doesn’t it?
My family and I enjoy the parks and open spaces available to us through the county and the township, we periodically pay to use programs and facilities of the St. Charles Park District, and we elect to pay to use the St. Charles library. I support continuing without our village having our own park district or library, as this gives our residents the ability to enjoy the county and township recreation options that we pay for in our taxes, and the option to pay for additional recreational opportunities in neighboring communities as one chooses.
Refuse Collection
While this is not handled by the Village, Campton Township’s Solid Waste Disposal District periodically solicits competitive bids for contracting refuse collection activities to firms like Lakeshore Recycling, Waste Management, etc. I support our Township continuing to compare services and pricing, holding the contracted firms accountable to the agreements, and ensuring that the residents are getting the best value for service.