County Board Candidate - District 7

Questions & Answers

What is the importance of the County Board to your constituents in Champaign County?

The goal of a board member is to serve the district, the residents, and the land around them. The long term goals of the board should be to serve the county as best as possible with both short term needs and long term goals. To that end, this often happens to be the democratic perspective and despite the rhetoric around party principal’s, democrats have always put people first. I have been a lifelong democrat for these reasons and I plan to again serve the county with these principals in mind.

What is a key policy difference between you and your Opponent?

I have not had an opportunity to hear my opponents policy outlook so I would wait to comment. Given the county GOP support for the current Governor and US president differences in how we would look at the service to people would no doubt be quite different.

The County Board is responsible for a yearly budget of nearly $130 million. How would prioritize this money, and are there any parts of the current budget you would change?

The county board’s oversight of the county budget and county wide functions that support its citizens. In a broad sense this is always the biggest challenge they face. Some notable challenges have not been met with success, of note the failure to maintain a nursing home for the citizens of the county. The board often faces an elected minority unwilling to solve problems beyond keeping the levy low. This often manifests itself in infrastructure decline and staffing shortages and a management approach that is reacting to perceived crisis and not organizing well planned long term goals.

Is there anything else you would like to say to an undecided voter in Champaign County?

When my 2 terms on the County Zoning Board of Appeals ended in November 2017, after serving 10 years there with 8 as chairperson, I decided I would like to continue to serve Champaign county. As a resident and an active member in the community the county board is an opportunity to further that service. I live here, this is my home and this is a way to serve this place I call home.