2025 Election Questionnaire: Ed Muncie, Campton Hills Village Trustee

Name:

Ed Muncie

What office are you seeking?

Trustee for the Village of Campton Hills

What is your political party?

Our local government is non-partisan.

What is your current age?

Occupation and employer:

I‘m a Vice President and Risk Manager for a family-owned group of construction and manufacturing companies.

What offices, if any, have you previously held?

I have held the office of village trustee for the Village of Campton Hills since 2021.

City:

Campton Hills

Campaign Website:

Ed4theHills.com

Education:

I have a B.S. in Industrial Technology and Occupational Safety & Health from Northern Illinois University, an M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School, and a Mini-MBA from Loyola University Chicago.

Community Involvement:

I organized and ran a very successful “Cruise Night” car show event with over 200 cars, a DJ, live music, ice cream, and food in Campton Hills in 2021, and I have participated in and helped with other community events like National Night Out, Holiday in the Hills and others as a village trustee over the past four years.

Marital status/Immediate family:

My wife and I just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We have twin daughters that have started their careers and are living on their own now, so Maggie the English Setter keeps us company in the house, and the barnyard is home to half-a-dozen ducks.

Questions:

In past years, Campton Hills has been a center of drama – the lawsuit against Brian Larsen, the dismissal of its previous administrator and executive assistant, zoning issues and most recently, the public censure of Trustee Janet Burson. What would you propose, going forward, to keep the village on an even keel?

We’re still a relatively new and fledgling village, so while I’ll admit there have been some growing pains, over the past four years we’ve taken the necessary steps to increase professionalism, implement significant improvements in training, policies, practices and available resources, and set standards for civility and effective working relationships. If we continue to further these efforts and expectations with an eye towards continuous improvement, we will keep our village on course for continued success.

Should local law enforcement cooperate with ICE to identify and deport immigrants who do not have legal status to be in the United States?

In Illinois municipalities are required to comply with Illinois TRUST Act and other state laws which set the requirements for how local law enforcement interacts with immigrants, federal law enforcement, and others. This is not a matter in which local municipal government officials have any input on. Please reference “Illinois Laws Governing Law Enforcement Interactions with Immigrant Communities,” January 2025, from the office of the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for more information.

What are your top three priorities for our city, and how do you plan to address them?

First, I want to continue to preserve and protect our semi-rural way of life while promoting responsible growth. The foundation for this is being laid through our new zoning ordinance and our village comprehensive plan currently under revision. As the liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission, I’m very impressed with our amazing community volunteers as they ensure that our comprehensive plan paves the way for this balance of preservation and responsible growth.

Second, we need to continue to fully fund and staunchly support our Police while maintaining a balanced and debt-free budget with no residential property tax. We’ve been able to accomplish this since the village’s inception in 2007, and I see no reason we cannot continue this with a fiscally responsible approach to village operations.

Finally, I’d like to achieve further increases in the effectiveness and professionalism of village operations and continue to strengthen our partnerships with Campton and Plato Townships for additional road maintenance and services. This can be accomplished with a firm commitment to our high-quality staff and our partnerships, while maintaining an eye towards continuous improvement, efficiency and maximizing available resources.

How do you intend to balance economic development with environmental sustainability in the community?

Our Planning and Zoning Commission is currently revising our village’s Comprehensive Plan, with a clear commitment to the balance of economic development and environmental sustainability. Our 2024 Zoning Ordinance also achieved advancements in this balance as well. By fostering sustainable economic growth, preserving and promoting freedoms for our residents, and maintaining a commitment to our agricultural, open space, and sensitive environmental areas, we will continue to keep Campton Hills as a true semi-rural gem in Kane County.

What are your plans for enhancing public transportation and infrastructure in the city?

The Village of Campton Hills is a small village with extremely limited resources, and as such increases in public transportation and related infrastructure are not within our current plans.

What role should the city council play in supporting local businesses and economic growth?

Our village board staunchly supports our local businesses, and we’re proud of the vast and wonderful products and services available in our small community. As a small municipality, we can continue to make it easier and more effective to launch new commercial endeavors and to create a welcoming and collaborative environment in our village.

What are your top public safety concerns for our community and how would you propose addressing them?

The Village of Campton Hills is blessed to have an amazing group of men and women officers in our Police force. As a testament to their community outreach, commitment, and vigilance, Campton Hills has been ranked as one of the very safest cities in Illinois for each of the past four years. I want to continue vehemently supporting the brave and tireless men and women of our Police force, as well as their efforts to obtain grant funding to further expand their resources.

What can or should the city to do increase affordable housing?

Our village policies and practices have always promoted inclusion for all residents while I’ve served on the village board, and I’m committed to ensuring that they continue to do so. One way our village fosters this is through the structure of our village board. Trustees represent the village as a whole, and not any specific ward, district, or neighborhood. We’re forced to consider what’s in the best interest of all village residents in our decision-making, and this process promotes inclusion across the diversity of our community.

How will you ensure that city policies promote inclusion for all residents?

Do you support requiring government officials to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest, and how would you enforce this?

I believe that our village officials should have the honesty and character to voluntarily disclose potential conflicts of interest - or even the appearance of any such conflict or other potential impropriety - and recuse themselves from any official actions related to the issue. Conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest or other improprieties are currently prohibited by Campton Hills Village Code and Illinois law. Violations by public officials are enforceable under village code and state law.

How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?

I have always been accessible to the residents of the Village of Campton Hills. I read and answer every email and have responded to every resident that has contacted me over the past four years. I remain committed to listening and responding whenever a resident reaches out. I love Campton Hills, and I hope that the residents will let me continue to preserve, protect, and promote our unique and wonderful community.