Two new faces vie for Lake County Board District 17 seat
Candidates Mary Mesa and Joe Salvi are competing for the Lake County Board District 17 seat, with data center development among the issues discussed. Salvi opposes data centers on unincorporated land, while Mesa supports further research and planning; Lake County has imposed a moratorium while drafting model regulations.
Democratic candidate Mary Mesa and Republican candidate Joe Salvi are seeking the Lake County Board District 17 seat, which covers communities including Grayslake-area communities and portions of Lake Zurich and Round Lake. Both candidates identified data center development as an important county issue following opposition to the proposed T5 data center in Grayslake.
Salvi said data centers could significantly affect surrounding communities and called for strong protections, including a prohibition on data centers on unincorporated land. Mesa said the county should conduct due diligence and determine through research and planning whether data centers benefit individual communities. Lake County has placed a moratorium on data center development while it drafts model regulatory language.