Waukegan-based business owner Charles Rukstales is challenging longtime Democratic Lake County Board member Diane Hewitt in the District 8 primary election on March 19.
Some of the most pressing issues for the candidates include the proposed Waukegan Airport expansion, Vista Medical Center East’s trauma designation and the remaining coal ash at the NR Waukegan Generating Station.
In office since 2008, Hewitt has fended off multiple primary challenges. The 69-year-old from Zion won a three-person primary in 2012, and also won in 2016 and 2020’s general elections with more than 70% of the vote.
In 2022, County Board redistricting forced an election matchup between Hewitt, at that time representing District 2, and new board appointee Steve Snarski, a 32-year-old Realtor.
The new boundaries drew Hewitt’s old district of mostly Wauconda into Snarski’s District 8, which was expanded from a Waukegan-only district to include parts of Beach Park, Zion and the northeast part of Gurnee.
“I thoroughly enjoy what I do,” Hewitt said. “I’m very fortunate to have fantastic constituent.”
Challenger Rukstales previously served as a Waukegan 7th Ward alderman from 1979-1983, chairing multiple committees during his tenure. The 73-year-old business owner consults for utility and energy companies on environmental sustainability.
No Republican candidate has filed to run in District 8 in November’s general election, and the Hewitt-Rukstales is the lone County Board primary on the March 19 ballot, according to the county election website. Early voting opened March 4 at select locations in the county.
In order for someone to challenge the District 8 primary winner and become a write-in candidate for the general election, they must file a notarized “Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate” form with the Lake County Clerk’s Office at least 61 days before the Nov. 5 election.
Top issues
A controversial proposal of the Lake County Forest Preserves Board and the Waukegan Port District to use 52 acres of forest preserves land for a new 7,000-foot-long runway at Waukegan National Airport is one of the top issues facing the District 8 candidates.
The two boards entered into an agreement in February 2023 for the $186 million runway expansion, but the proposal has been in limbo since as the airport waits for federal approval for the project.
The Federal Avian Administration (FAA) will draft an environmental assessment and conduct a public hearing on the airstrip plan before announcing a decision.
Both Hewitt and Rukstales said they want to see the 52 acres of the Waukegan Savanna remain a part of the preserves, and not used for the airport expansion.
Although Hewitt voted in favor of the agreement last year, a survey of her constituents found the project to be unfavorable so she said she would vote in accordance with those who elected her to office.
Rukstales said he believes the county should be persevering and enhancing the existing forest preserves, rather than selling some and purchasing other land. Additionally, Rukstales said the airport expansion project should not be the burden of District 8 taxpayers.
Both candidates also wish to see the impounded coal ash removed from the NRG Waukegan Station near Lake Michigan. Coal ash, the byproduct of coal-fired power plants, contains potentially hazardous materials such as arsenic, mercury and cadmium that can endanger nearby water sources.
NRG’s current plan is to remove the coal ash from one pond and cap the second pond, leaving the coal ash in place. Hewitt said if the company is going to remove the ash from one pond, it should have to do so with the other.
“If they’re going to do one, they’re going to do both,” Hewitt said. “They’re not going to leave our taxpayers to pay for the cleanup.”
Rukstales, who has consulted for numerous energy companies, said he’s witnessed energy facilities show indifference to environmental protections.
“My biggest issue is that it seems like a lot of these entities like to make a mess, then not clean it up and have the taxpayers pick up the tab,” he said. “I’ve seen senior management at these utilities look at the fines that they get from the federal or state governments or city, and decide that they’re going to pay the fine instead of implementing, let’s say, scrubbers on their smokestacks so they would have cleaner air.”
Hewitt said she is also concerned about the mountain of dredged sand on the Waukegan site that is washing into Lake Michigan. She is concerned about the quality of the sand and potential contamination.
In early February, Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan lost its Level II trauma center designation after the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) revoked the designation.
Restoring the designation was a top priority of candidates vying for District 8, but on Monday the hospital’s trauma status was reinstated by IDPH.
Road projects throughout the district and county have also been a top priority during her tenure, Hewitt said.
Other environmental issues important to Rukstales include managing land use and zoning within the county to control businesses that may bring in toxic chemicals, he said.
Rukstales hopes for robust voter turnout for the primary election, and encourages everyone who is eligible to vote.
chilles@chicagotribune.com
