McHenry County Board Questionnaire from the Daily Herald

A McHenry County Board candidate has been kind enough to share the questions asked of him by the Daily Herald.

I though that folks might be interested in what this influential paper thinks important.

The paper has the advantage of having someone on the scene pretty much every day. His name is Chuck Keeshan.

Besides the “Why are you running and what do you want to do?” questions, the Daily Herald asks

  • what highway projects candidates want to build with the $50 million in money recently borrowed against future Motor Fuel Tax receipts
  • whether the prospective member would spend highway money helping build the bridge over the Fox River just south of the county line (local officials want to make it a toll bridge, so southern McHenry County residents can pay both county and state MFT, plus tolls.)
  • whether the $100,000 a year federal lobbyist should be retained
  • what buildings they would put on a new “county campus” in what I call the “Hebron” site, which I would point out is inconveniently located for most county residents
  • how a board member would get more road money for McHenry County, which seems a bit more appropriate question for a legislative candidate
  • how they will assure adequate water and
  • what to do about the growing number of illegal immigrants in McHenry County (and the Daily Herald actually uses the term “illegal immigrants”)

Here are the specific questions in the candidate questionnaire:

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?

2. For incumbents and non-incumbents:

If you are and incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you’ve led.

If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

3. The county board this year sold about $50 million in bonds to fund road improvements with plans to repay the loan with future motor-fuel tax revenue, a reversal of a longstanding policy to wait until the money was in place before initiating a construction project. Do/did you agree with that policy shift and what are some of the specific projects upon which you believe the money should be spent?

4. 2008 is the last of the county’s three-year, roughly $300,000, contract with a federal lobbyist hired to represent McHenry County’s interests in Washington, D.C. Do you believe this is a wise use of taxpayer money and should the county renew the contract, retain another lobbyist or drop the idea entirely next year?

5. The board is exploring the creation of a multi-million dollar county campus near its courthouse and administrative building in Woodstock. Do you support the concept of a county campus and, if so, what new facilities should be built on it?

6. County Board Chairman Ken Koehler recently said the county will help fund a study for a Fox River crossing along Longmeadow Parkway in Kane County, but that’s where the county’s financial contribution to the project would end. Given the likelihood the bridge would serve thousands of McHenry County residents and ease traffic in downtown Algonquin, do you believe the county should contribute more to the project or do you believe, like Koehler, the county needs to spend its road dollars in the county. Explain your answer?

7. Transportation continues to be a major concern throughout McHenry County, primarily in the southeastern and northeastern corners. If elected, what, specifically, would you do to expedite improved transportation funding for the county? What would you do that’s different from what’s previously been done? Be specific?

8. Experts predict portions of McHenry County will not have adequate water supplies by 2030. If elected, how will you ensure the region has enough water? Be specific

9. What, if anything, should the McHenry County Board do to ease growing concerns about the immigration issues which have turned volatile in so many communities? If elected, what, specifically, would you do about the increasing number of illegal immigrants in McHenry County?

10. Please list the names of all relatives employed by or involved in contracts with McHenry County, their relationship to you and their position or area of business.

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I’ll be happy to publish any candidate’s reply to any newspaper questionnaire. Just email it to McHenry County Blog. And, if I don’t have your photo, please send me one.


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