The Tribune asked candidates in contested races for Lake County Board five questions about issues facing county government.
This week the Tribune is running responses from those candidates. The following answers are from candidates in District 6. For a full list of answers from candidates in districts 4, 11, 13, 15 and 21, click here.
What is the biggest issue facing Lake County residents, and how would you address it as a County Board member?
Pat Carey (Democrat): I believe the biggest issue facing most people today is the economy, evidenced by fewer jobs, devalued homes, and high taxes. A healthy economy is important to our quality of life. Employment opportunities allow everyone to meet the needs of their families. Keeping jobs in the County cuts down on travel times and increases the tax base, helping our schools and decreasing the burden on homeowners. I currently serve on the Board of Lake County Partners, the economic development arm of the County. As a former economic development professional, I know what it takes to recruit and retain businesses, and through Partners, I work with municipalities and Lake County corporations to retain existing and bring new jobs to the County. We have achieved some successes in recent years, including the FedEx and Cornerstone projects in Grayslake. I have supported the use of incentives when they result in a positive benefit to the community in new jobs and increased tax base, but only if they also demonstrate a financial benefit to our schools and other taxing bodies.
While increased economic development can help to lessen the property tax burden on residents, we also need to control spending to keep the County’s tax burden as low as possible. I have voted in favor of more than $17 million in cuts in the County Budget between 2009 and 2012. I refused a raise voted on by Members prior to my joining the Board and donated the amount of the raise back to the County. I serve as Vice-Chair of the Forest Preserve Finance Committee, where I have been a strong voice for fiscally conservative policies that have resulted in reduced expenditures, decreasing our operating budget by 5.5 percent in the 2011/2012 fiscal year and reducing our tax levy for four years in a row.
Jeff Werfel (Republican): I believe the most important issue facing Lake County over the next ten years is its overall economic viability and competitiveness both within Illinois and outside of it, especially given our shared border with the state of Wisconsin.
The three challenges driving this issue that I would address are:
* To responsibly manage Lake County’s budget and finances while continuing to deliver high quality county services. County government needs to be as innovative and cost-effective as possible in the delivery of the services for which it is responsible
* To encourage more business/commercial development in Lake County to add jobs, improve the overall economy and assist in relieving more of the onerous residential property tax burden on our citizens.
* To continue to improve the county’s roads and transportation infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion and encourage business/commercial development. I will support the efforts of the county to improve the roads it is responsible for, as well as all efforts by other levels of government to improve the local roads they are responsible for.
Lake County and the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency are to conduct a land-use study for a proposed extension of Highway 53. Do you support the extension? What issues should the study take into consideration?
Pat Carey (Democrat): When the Board adopted a resolution supporting the Route 53 extension in 2009, I offered a successful amendment that added language solidifying the County’s position that any proposed Route 53 project would not only solve the traffic problems in the proposed corridor, but also minimize impact on the environment, include a transit component, and operate effectively with the proposed Route 120 Boulevard Bypass. I believe the consensus proposal that came out of the Route 53/120 Blue Ribbon Advisory Council meets the spirit of our resolution. I will support the project if it meets the transportation and environmental goals outlined in the Council’s report.
One of the long-standing concerns about the Route 53 extension is the type of growth it could foster along the road’s corridor. The study being undertaken by Lake County DOT and CMAP will strive to align the predicted future growth of the area with community goals. As a County Board Member and as a former Mayor, I think it will be most important to ensure that each community has a strong voice in this process. The study needs to recognize the autonomy of each municipality while looking for common ground in terms of land use, particularly as related to development of non-residential properties. I believe Lake County Partners should be engaged in the study also, as related to economic development goals for the central part of the County.
Jeff Werfel (Republican): I support the recently adopted recommendations of the Route 53 Blue Ribbon Commission to create an environmentally sensitive and acceptable Route 53 extension into Lake County. The land use study should address all potential relevant transportation, economic, environmental and overall quality of life impacts the extension could generate.
Motorola Mobility’s announcement this summer it would leave Lake County for Chicago and lay off employees in the process came as a surprise to many people in the county, including elected officials. As a County Board member, what would you propose county do to retain employers like Motorola Mobility and also attract new jobs?
Pat Carey (Democrat): I believe the County Board has a leadership role to play in promoting economic growth throughout Lake County. I am currently involved, as a Director of Lake County Partners, in development of a Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Based on the CEDS plan, once completed, Lake County Partners will launch new marketing, attraction and retention efforts in the County to encourage new investment and job growth. These new programs will play to Lake County’s strengths, including our diverse socio-economic character, our wealth of cultural and natural resources, and our location as home to many corporate headquarters and leaders in the bio-pharmaceutical industry.
While we are always on the lookout to bring new business and jobs to the county, much of our growth comes from the successes and expansion of our existing businesses. During all of my sixteen years in local government, I have worked closely with small business owners in my area and I will continue to do so. I also look forward to getting more actively involved in retention efforts throughout the County as outlined in the CEDS plan.
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The County can also have an impact on the business climate through its actions in several areas:
* Transportation – I will continue my support for road and transit improvements.
* Regulations – I have supported and will continue to support streamlining permitting processes and ensuring that regulations do not inhibit business growth.
* Incentives – I support their use when they result in a positive benefit to the community in new jobs and increased tax base, while providing long-term financial benefit to our schools and other taxing bodies.
Jeff Werfel (Republican): The County Board should work closely with private business, other governmental units and economic development groups to maximize Lake County’s ability to attract and retain employers, and the jobs they create, for our citizens. It’s a “team approach” to economic development which maximizes the County’s ability to succeed in this critical area.
The Lake County Assessor’s Office has indicated that even though property assessment valuations are generally lower this year, property taxes aren’t likely to decline for residents. As a County Board member, how would you respond to residents frustrated that they aren’t seeing property tax relief even in difficult economic times?
Pat Carey (Democrat): I have had this discussion at almost every door I have knocked on throughout this campaign. What I tell people is that I can do two things related to their property tax burden. First and most important, I can make sure that I am responsible and very conservative about spending their tax dollars in our budgets at the County and the Forest Preserve and I have done that. The second thing is to work diligently on economic development to keep and attract businesses to Lake County to diversify the tax base and lessen the burden on residents.
However, the County and Forest Preserve together make up a relatively small portion of a resident’s tax bill. So we must also explore opportunities to work with other units of government to see how we can collectively lessen the tax burden on our residents. Whether it is joint purchasing opportunities, information and data sharing, or technology partnerships, we must work cooperatively across the lines of government entities.
The County has a unique role in this work, as the entity that can best provide leadership on issues facing the County as a whole. We owe it to our citizens to do whatever we can to help them weather these tough economic times. Living in Illinois, we know that we face very serious challenges at the State level. It falls to local government to make every attempt to provide quality services to our citizens, while not adding to their financial burden.
Jeff Werfel (Republican): All of us as taxpayers expect government to respect our sacrifice in this extraordinarily difficult economy by managing its fiscal affairs with the same common sense as we do. As a County Board Member I will focus and work on keeping county government taxes low while maintaining high service levels for our families and businesses. The County can lead by example vis-a-vis other government taxing bodies in this area. We have done this in Grayslake at the municipal level.
The County can also become a leader in working to fundamentally reform the property tax system in Illinois.
The Lake County Board recently approved a “planned unit development” concept for a shopping center in Ela Township on a property owned by the Dimucci family. Even with tighter controls on the site, neighbors still objected to the potential size and scope of the project. Did the board make the right decision, and if a developer makes a specific proposal for the site, what should be considered in the county’s review?
Pat Carey (Democrat): Yes, I believe the County Board made the right decision in its unanimous vote to approve the zoning change and preliminary development plan. Our vote came only after months of exhaustive hearings and meetings to review and refine the property owner’s proposal. Included in these meetings were negotiations with the two neighboring villages to arrive at an intergovernmental agreement. This agreement, which includes additional restrictions placed on the property, resulted in the Villages’ support for the final proposal put before the County Board.
My support for the project is based on the belief that commercial is an appropriate use for the property and that the plan we approved has taken into account all of the issues raised by neighboring residents, such as traffic, stormwater management, landscaping, noise, lighting, appropriate uses, etc. It is important to note that the zoning on the property remains as estate residential until a final development plan is brought forward and approved by the County Board. When a developer does come forward to submit a final development plan, we will look for compliance with all of the many details outlined in the preliminary plan, including the extensive pattern book, which addresses such issues as signage, architecture, lighting, and landscaping.
Jeff Werfel (Republican): I agree with the County Board’s decision. The process that was followed to address all of the involved parties’ concerns led to a result that mitigates and balances those concerns as best as possible. Specific future proposals for the site need to be reviewed within the recently agreed upon parameters and also address any potential issues that arise outside of those parameters.
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