Two Will County Board incumbents seeking reelection this year face a challenge in the March 17 Republican primary for District 2, and believe their challenger is a Democrat trying to sneak his way in.

District 2, which covers areas of New Lenox, Manhattan, Peotone and eastern Will County to the Indiana state line, is represented by board members Judy Ogalla, of Monee, and Frankie Pretzel, of New Lenox.

Neil “Muggsy” Gallagher, of Manhattan, is the third candidate.

The top two vote-getters will face Democrat Bob Howard in November for two, 2-year terms. Howard, who ran for the post four years ago, is the only Democrat who filed.

Ogalla and Pretzel are running as a team and on their record opposing tax increases.

Gallagher has pulled Democratic ballots in six primary elections since 2010, most recently in 2024, according to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Will County clerk’s office. He last requested a Republican primary ballot in 2016, according to the clerk’s records.

His petitions were challenged in November alleging he was affiliated with the Democratic Party and ineligible to be a candidate in the Republican primary. The objections were overruled after the Electoral Board said party-switching is allowed when it occurs after a completed election cycle.

“I personally think Democratic primaries and Republican primaries should be safe zones,” Ogalla said. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Frankie Pretzel (Candidate photo)
Judy Ogalla (Candidate photo)
Neil “Muggsy” Gallagher (Candidate photo)

Gallagher said the attacks from his opponents are distractions. He said he maintains conservative values, especially on illegal immigration. He said he’s pulled Democratic ballots to support more moderate candidates, especially if a Republican race was uncontested. He said he has “common sense” views.

Property taxes

Ogalla, a board member since 2012, and Pretzel, a board member since 2020, said their voting record demonstrates their commitment to lowering property taxes.

“I originally ran on opposing any new taxes and being a no vote on any tax increases,” Pretzel, 46, said. “I’ve done that for the past five years. This year was maybe the most successful we’ve been because we were able to accomplish a 0% increase in the levy.”

Ogalla, 65, said she’s been consistent on lowering property taxes. She said she supports public health and safety initiatives.

Gallagher, 52, said the County Board needs to “cut out as much fat as possible.”

“I think we need to do a better job on the budget,” Gallagher said. “We’ve got to find a way to cut spending. We need to work together to keep our property taxes down.”

Gallagher objected to a $200,000 allocation from the cannabis fund for Illinois Workers in Action, a nonprofit organization with a location in Bolingbrook, to provide legal defense for immigrants with legal status.

Last fall, the County Board allocated about $2 million from the cannabis fund to several community organizations, such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Regional Office of Education and Workforce Investment Services. Other cannabis dollars were granted to provide food stability programs for senior citizens and to the clerk’s office for election equipment.

Solar energy

Both incumbents have concerns over the number of solar energy firms seeking permits to install solar panels on agriculturally zoned land.

Ogalla said at one time, a farmer may have opted to put solar panels on a portion of his farm, in what was the case of personal property rights. But now solar corporations are consuming vast acreage of farmland, and Springfield has taken control away from local officials, she said.

“You are bringing in an industrial-type of development into an agricultural area, therefore, changing the agricultural area for the next 30, 40, 50 years,” Ogalla said. “That’s wrong. It’s gone from community solar, small, to an industrial-size energy facility. I don’t support that in an agricultural area at all.”

Ogalla has worked with a wind and solar task force with representatives from counties across the state. One of their requests is to give local officials power to site solar energy facilities so they are not near homes.

“We should not give up on that,” she said.

Pretzel said as chairman of the board’s Land Use and Development Committee he’s a “voice of reason” when solar projects are on the table.

“I can’t in good conscience vote for something that I don’t support,” Pretzel said. “So when the residents of that community come or when a mayor … comes to me and gives a good reason why this project isn’t a good fit for that community, I’ll be a no every time. If that means we will have to go to court, then so be it.”

He said five solar projects were once proposed for the same street in Peotone, which was a “red flag.” Farmers have also objected to the solar industry destroying their land.

“We are ruining some of the most fertile farmland in the country,” Pretzel said.

Pretzel said he respects municipalities whose comprehensive plans designate vacant land for housing. The municipalities have already taken steps bringing utilities toward a potential residential development and don’t want a solar energy facility using that land for decades.

Gallagher said he doesn’t want to see thousands of acres of farms taken up by solar energy facilities. He questioned that without subsidies, would the industry be a viable venture in northern Illinois. He said he would also like to know if the industry is lowering energy costs for his neighbors.

“This decision has already been made in Springfield and there’s not much we can really do about it,” he said. “That’s not good for our community. That’s not good for how we want to develop our county.”

Gallagher said the Will County Forest Preserve District has about 3,300 acres of land it leases to farmers. If that land was leased to solar firms, it could generate millions of dollars in revenue that could be put back into the county’s budget, he said.

Trucks, transportation and safety

Ogalla said semi-truck traffic is an important issue. She said she has worked closely with the Will County Division of Transportation and representatives in Springfield on improvements to make roads safer.

Some options will add safety features such as turn lanes, shoulders and lights to Peotone-Wilmington Road and Monee-Manhattan Road.

Ogalla said many accidents have occurred near Route 50 and County Line Road near Peotone and Will townships and she badgered state representatives until improvements were put on the Illinois Department of Transportation’s five-year plan.

She said she was also instrumental in getting a four-way stop sign secured at Peotone-Beecher Road and Will Center Road after numerous accidents.

Gallagher said increasing truck traffic motivated him to get into the race.

“The truck traffic is running rampant through our towns and small communities,” Gallagher said. “Our highways are a death trap in some places. I refuse to let my son drive. I don’t want him on numerous roads and highways in Will County for fear of safety, and I don’t think I’m alone there.”

Gallagher said addressing traffic and crime tops his list of priorities.

Pretzel said truck traffic is one of the largest issues Will County residents have.

“I do think we need to focus more on having these arterial truck routes, and we also need to limit the truck terminals that we are approving,” he said.

Pretzel said he originally ran for the County Board to support law enforcement, and wants to ensure the sheriff’s office is respected and has the tools it needs.

Other issues

Ogalla, a retired information technology professional, is president of the Will County Forest Preserve District board and has supported conservation practices. She has actively opposed an airport in Peotone. As a senior member of the board, she said she mentors other board members.

Ogalla said one project that interests her is the renovation of a former medical facility in Joliet to create a veterans centric campus for the Will County Veterans Assistance Commission. She said she would like to seek grant funds that could go toward building short-term apartments on the campus for veterans in need.

Pretzel, a franchise business owner, said one of his strengths is that he is easy to work with on the board and can work with both Republicans and Democrats. He said he wants to focus on County Board business and not be distracted by national political issues. He was a leading voice for removing proclamations on the agenda when it became divisive.

Solar facilities will not be going away, and data centers and modular nuclear facilities are going to be up-and-coming issues that will need to be studied, Pretzel said.

Gallagher, who works in agriculture retail sales, has been on the Manhattan Irish Fest executive committee and is a member of the Providence Men’s Club.

The Manhattan Irish Fest generates between $65,000 and $75,000 a year, with proceeds supporting the Lincoln-Way marching band, animal rescue organizations, Scout troops, veterans groups and other community organizations. He said this nonprofit organization offers a “stark contrast” to the County Board’s allocation to help immigrants with legal defenses.

Gallagher said residents are looking for normalcy from the County Board and aren’t looking for far left- or far right-wing politics from its board members. The County Board should be a group of people trying to better the community, he said, adding residents are tired of board members bickering on the floor, which lacks professionalism.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.