Huntley School District 158 Board candidates weigh in on taxes

Ten people are running for five seats on the Huntley School District 158 Board in the April 1 election.

Who is running?

For four four-year terms:

• Richard Bobby III
• Corine Burns
• Sean Cratty (incumbent)
• Jim Hollich
• Cassie Khurana
• Andrew Martin
• Melissa M. Maiorino
• Paul A. Troy (incumbent)

For a two-year term:

• Andrew Fekete
• Dana Wiley (incumbent)

Wiley was appointed to the board in November 2023 and is running to keep her seat. Bobby originally was nominated for that seat but wasn’t appointed.

Troy has been on the board since 2009, and Cratty since 2020.

Fekete ran for a two-year seat in 2023. Current board member Michael Thompson won that seat but opted not to run again. Board member Anthony Quagliano, whose seat is up this year, also isn’t running. Maiorino was on the board from 2019 to 2023.

Some of the responses below come from a forum held in early March by the community group Inspire158, at which the candidates were asked whether they had business or financial ties to the district, and none said they did. Board members are not compensated.

What are candidates' stances on taxes?

The board in recent years has voted to max out its property tax levy, but it has abated some dollars. A slate that had criticized the previous school board for taking the maximum increase also voted to do the same; in 2023, the board approved a new contract with the teachers union that some on the board felt was why a tax increase was needed.

Most of the candidates touted that contract as a win for the district to recruit and retain quality educators.

Here’s what they said in response to being asked whether the district has been wise with tax dollars. Click on the candidate’s last name to go to their questionnaire:

• Maiorino said the district has navigated the housing crash and other crises, and is lucky to have a professional financial staff. She said it was “commendable” that the district has abated some tax dollars and said the district has been recognized as a “model district” for operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility.
• Burns said Chief Financial Officer Mark Altmayer has reduced some costs through green initiatives. “Our teachers are vital to our district’s success, and competitive wages help retain top talent,” Burns said. She said she wanted to see infographics and easy-to-read information on the district website so taxpayers can understand the budget. Burns also said the priority should stay on classroom spending, adding the district should eliminate wasteful spending through budget reviews and that she would advocate for other funding sources such as grants and partnerships.
• Fekete said financial efficiency while maintaining quality education has been one of the district’s biggest successes. Fekete said the district had one of the lowest per-pupil spending compared with neighboring ones. He called for regular audits of the systems in place to maintain buildings. He also wants to make sure the district is transparent and wants user-friendly financial dashboards and more public engagement. If elected, “I will prioritize smart, transparent budgeting that balances our fiscal responsibilities with high-quality education for our students.”
• Wiley answered in a separate question that she is a “fiscally conservative candidate” but also was acting in the best interest of the school district when it came to voting for a tax increase. She said in response to the spending question that she was proud of the teachers contract because morale was low and the district was losing teachers. With new development in the district, there’s a perception that the district will see an influx in enrollment and tax dollars, which Wiley said is “not going to happen.”
• Bobby said there’s always “efficiencies we can improve on.” The district has made headway on green energy and efficiencies on water use and solar panels. One of the inefficiencies he mentioned is teachers' service time. He said there will be a lot of educators retiring, and the district needs to be thinking “outside the box” about not just pay but also how to make teachers' jobs easier and more efficient.
• Troy also mentioned the green initiatives and said the district was a Green Ribbon recipient in 2023. He said he carries around the budget with him; people have questions about the 118-page budget “because every single line item matters.” But $14 million in deficits is on the horizon. He later said he is a taxpayer. “Would I like to spend less? Yes,” he said, adding that he advocates it at home, but the district’s job is to educate students, which costs money.
• Hollich said that as a taxpayer, “anytime you say something about raising taxes ... it’s not a good thing.” He said Huntley is the “outer rim of development,” and there’s a lot of new construction. With new taxpayers, he’s hopeful that will raise the money needed without tax increases. Hollich said it would take a little while, but “we’ll see how it goes.”

In candidate questionnaires, Cratty and Martin weighed in on taxes. Khurana did not fill out the questionnaire.

• Cratty wrote: “As a resident in the district, I also pay taxes. I think we all agree having lower taxes would be great, but understanding the funding the schools get, I understand the tax bill. The board continues to use the levy to bring in funds to keep up with teacher and support staff contracts, building maintenance and the overall costs of the school district. We also try to abate taxes when we can to lower the burden on taxpayers, much like the board has done the last two years. This year, we voted to take the full levy but to abate, bringing the burden down to 2% for the community and taxpayers.”
• Martin wrote in part: “Arguing whether taxes are too high or not is also dependent on individual circumstances, but as a school board member, my main responsibility is ensuring the received tax dollars are appropriately accounted for and spent responsibly making the most impact in the classroom and supporting the educators. As an elected school board member, I would explore all revenue opportunities to help take the burden off taxpayers, investigate wasteful spending and work to keep the school district tax impact as flat [a] rate as possible without sacrificing quality education.”

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