Kaz carries significant lead over O’Connor for Kenilworth village presidency

Kenilworth Trustee Cecily Kaz is in a strong position to win the village president’s chair; however, with some mail-in ballots left to be counted, it is not yet a sure thing.

Kaz, a selection of the Kenilworth Citizens Party, collected 260 votes, or 56.52% of the 465 votes cast, which puts her 60 votes ahead of Paul O’Connor, who ran an independent campaign.

Village President Ann Potter did not seek reelection.

For reference, 183 Kenilworth residents cast ballots in 2019 and 268 did in 2017; however, the races in those years were uncontested.

More than 2,000 voters are registered in Kenilworth, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, but the last time more than 500 Kenilworth residents voted in a local election was 2009.

This year marked the first contested municipal election in Kenilworth this century.

Neither Kaz nor O’Connor could be reached by press time.

Caucus candidates poised for Kenilworth Village Board seats

By Andrew Mariotti and Sarah Butkovic, of Dominican University, for The Record North Shore

Members of the Kenilworth Citizens Party Amy Hannus, Walter Kelly and Christopher Ottsen hold sizable leads over challenger Majorie MacLean after election night Tuesday, April 6.

According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office’s unofficial results, with both Kenilworth precincts reporting, Ottsen holds a slim lead over Hannus with 382 votes to Hannus’ 368. Kelly sits in third with 270 votes, more than 50 votes in front of MacLean (217).

Mail-in ballots received after Election Day, however, must still be counted.

Kelly worked as a chief compliance officer for 14 years for the fund complex at Nuveen before running for office. According to The Record North Shore, he plans to enhance amenities and infrastructure while maintaining Kenilworth’s charm.

Ottsen has lived in Kenilworth for 15 years and is concerned with preserving the aesthetic and character of the community. He has a background in civil engineering which he believes offers specific insight into how to improve Kenilworth’s infrastructure.

Hannus has been a Kenilworth resident for three years and is currently raising two children in the neighborhood. She is committed to making sure the voice of every resident is heard and strives to improve open communication with the board and community members.

Hannus chose not to comment on the election results.

“It would be premature of me to comment on election results until all votes are received, counted and certified” she said. “Mail-in ballots are equally important.” 

According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day and received at the Cook County Clerk’s Office within 14 days after the election.

MacLean is a fourth-generation Kenilworth resident who hopes to incite beneficial change in her community. She is a principal in a family software business and former corporate and finance attorney, according to her profile on FriendsofKenilworth.org.

“The biggest change I plan to make is to switch to what I’d call a resident driven vision and agenda versus an agenda driven by village staff,” MacLean said. “One example of that would be in the budgeting process to better align our expenditures with resident priorities.” 

MacLean also wants to use Kenilworth’s public funds from TIF (Tax Increment Financing) for public purposes. She plans to repair damaged roads, fix water mains that aren’t circulating enough water, and rebuild crumbling curbs.

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