Bolingbrook woman announces 2021 run for village clerk

Another candidate announced plans to run for a Bolingbrook village position in next year’s municipal election.

Elnalyn Costa, a first-time candidate, announced she will run for Bolingbrook village clerk in the April election. Costa is a union health, welfare and pension fund administrator by profession, according to a campaign news release.

“I will be an influential voice in the ears of our decision-makers, a community stakeholder responsible for record keeping and providing information to be used by our residents to make informed decisions and find resources within the community,” Costa said in the release.

Costa noted in her announcement that her run comes "as three decades of village control is turning over," a reference to longtime Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar stepping down in July. Carol Penning is the incumbent Bolingbrook village clerk. Penning was first elected in 1989.

Costa said in the release that she will “fully evaluate” the existing responsibilities and processes of the clerk’s office if she is elected. She added she intends to fulfill the duties of the village clerk in the position’s intended part-time capacity.

Even though the 2021 municipal elections are nearly seven months away, Costa is only the second person to announce a campaign for Bolingbrook village office. Will County Board member Jackie Traynere announced her second run for mayor of Bolingbrook in July. She narrowly lost to Claar in 2017.

The consolidated municipal elections are scheduled for April 6.