Sleepy Hollow forum spotlights taxes, water and sheds ahead of April 1 election

A candidate forum March 26 in Sleepy Hollow brought together two presidential candidates and multiple trustee contenders who spent more than two hours laying out plans for taxes, water and sewage, property codes and village communications ahead of the April 1 election.

Courtney Bowe, a candidate for village president, foregrounded transparency and resident access as central goals. "I am running because I believe in restoring trust and open communication within the village," Bowe said, and proposed weekly office hours, clearer pre‑meeting access to agenda packets and a "native rain garden initiative" to help mitigate recurring drainage problems at minimal cost to residents.

Why it matters: Candidates framed financial stability as the town's immediate problem. Several said Sleepy Hollow draws only a small share of residents' overall property taxes and must consider alternatives to increases — including grant funding, volunteer programs and attracting businesses that generate sales tax.

On taxes and budget priorities, candidates split. Jennifer McGuire, a trustee candidate, said she would oppose a property‑tax increase, stating bluntly, "No way. Not only will I not support it for the Sleepy Hollow part, but I will not support it for the [township], the library, the park district or the school district." Several other candidates said they would only favor a tax increase after explaining line‑item uses to residents.

Economic development and local revenue drew repeated attention. Trustee candidate Bill Hoff cited the village's limited commercial base — ‘‘approximately 3,111 [residents] and only 16 businesses’’ — and said expanding businesses is the primary path to more revenue. Hoff and others described outreach to local realtors and regional entrepreneurs as a priority.

Water, sewer and infrastructure were frequent subjects. Bowe, who has served as water and sewage liaison, noted Sleepy Hollow contracts for water and sewage and flagged system constraints: the village's contract with West Dundee caps processing and current average sewage use is far below the contractual limit, but targeted development could change demand. Candidates estimated some projects would be expensive (one trustee candidate referenced a roughly $400,000 road/culvert project), and several urged detailed engineering studies before committing to major capital work.

On septic and public water, candidates differed. Some supported exploring water‑main extensions for residents who request them but resisted forcing homeowners to abandon wells or septics because of cost. One speaker said replacing an aging septic field has cost homeowners about $11,000 in the past and could be substantially higher today.

Property codes — sheds, fences and recreational vehicles — produced a range of views. Many candidates opposed broad allowance of fences to preserve open space; others said modest, well‑sited sheds could be allowed if they match a house's materials and sit on a pad. Multiple candidates urged following planning‑and‑zoning and public‑input processes for code changes rather than unilateral action.

Public safety and staffing: Candidates generally concluded the village is not overstaffed and flagged public works as potentially understaffed given the village footprint. Several discussed a recent shift toward more full‑time police officers and the challenge of retaining officers when neighboring municipalities offer higher pay.

Communications and transparency featured concrete proposals: weekly office hours, town halls, improved email/text alerts and multilingual or elder‑friendly outreach. Candidates said social media is necessary in 2025 but urged safeguards to avoid destructive online discourse.

On the proposed self‑storage project at 1601 West Main, candidates gave cautious or split answers. Jennifer McGuire said simply, "Hell no," while others deferred until planning and zoning review is complete or said they would withhold public positions if they are on the planning commission to avoid legal exposure.

The forum closed with brief final remarks reiterating themes of financial prudence, volunteer‑led beautification and improved resident engagement. The moderator reminded attendees of the April 1 election and that an absent candidate's letter (Don, who previously served on the board and has accounting experience) had been read aloud.

What remains open: Candidates called for engineering studies and deeper financial review before committing to large capital projects. No formal votes were taken at the forum; the event served as voter information ahead of the April 1 consolidation election.

The forum transcript is the primary source for direct quotations and the data points reported here.