A-LAW Has A County Board Questionnaire, Too

Besides the Daily Herald, the Northwest Herald, the Chicago Tribune and the Woodstock Independent, the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water has prepared a questionnaire for McHenry County Board candidates to answer.

The questionnaire has a lot of thoughtful questions. It follows:

I. Land Use in the County:

A. How would you characterize the growth of McHenry County over the last 25 years and what trends do you see for the future? What concerns do you have? What would you like to see? (100-words)

B. For each question, select “yes” or “no.” Use the additional comment space at the end of this document to explain where necessary.

1. Do you agree with residents who said protecting open lands and agriculture were their priorities in the Imagine McHenry survey?

yes / no

2. Do you support permanent protection of agricultural land and the agricultural industry in the County?

yes / no

3. If elected, will you pledge to find funding sources for acquiring agricultural conservation easements (for which federal funds would supply 50%) within one year of taking office?

yes / no

4. Have you personally attended any of the Regional Planning Commission meetings or subcommittee meetings on the 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan?

yes / no

5. According to a May 2006 Northwest Herald article “Since 1995, the County has overruled its land-use plan 78 per cent of the time when developers requested zoning changes inconsistent with the plan.” If elected, will you uphold the land use plan?

II. Water Policy:

A. By protecting agricultural lands and soil resources, groundwater and its natural recharge can also be protected. What will you do to provide that protection? (50 words)

B. For each question, select “yes” or “no.” Use the additional comment space at the end of this document to explain where necessary.

1. Do you support redistributing groundwater from water-rich areas to areas that have over drawn their groundwater?

yes / no

2. Would you oppose any land use change that would exceed a locally recharged aquifer’s capacity?

yes / no

3. Do you support indemnity to existing well owners who can document an adverse effect on their wells by new high-volume groundwater withdrawals in their vicinity?

yes / no

4. Do you support the 2006 County Board resolution requiring that a site’s aquifer sensitivity and recharge be assessed before approving any land use change for that location, and would you vote for it’s reproposal?

yes / no

5. In the past fifteen years, McHenry County has spent $1.6 million dollars on groundwater studies. If elected, will you pledge to use the recently earmarked federal $295,000 to protect local aquifer recharge by having the County contract with state and federal agencies to monitor aquifer levels and collect other current, hard data on the status of locally recharged aquifers.

6. If incumbent, did you vote for, or if non-incumbent would you vote for the Enbridge pumping station on Franklinville Road?

yes / no

III. Transparency:

A. If elected, whom do you define as your constituency and how will you communicate with your constituents to ensure your positions honestly represent them? (50 words)

B. What does the County get from its $147,590 contract (Dec 1, 2007 through Nov. 30, 2008) with the McHenry County Development Corporation and is it a good investment of taxpayer money? (50 words)

C. For each question, select “yes” or “no.” Use the additional comment space at the end of this document to explain where necessary.

1. If elected, would you support requiring all board members, other County officers and employees, and all their family members to disclose any financial or other interest in any real property in the County?

yes / no

2. Would you require that such interests, as stated above, disqualify any Board member from voting on any measure, including the comprehensive plan designations, relating to any such interests?

yes / no

3. Do you support the MCEDC using taxpayer funds to oppose or support citizens initiatives including lobbying the County Board?

yes / no

D. Do you have any relatives employed or under contract with McHenry County? If so, please list their names, relationship to you, and place of employment or nature of their business with the County. (no limit – if none, please write “None”)

Name

Relationship

Position or Nature of Business

IV. General:

A. What is your opinion on global climate disruption? (50 words)

B. For each question, select “yes” or “no.” Use the additional comment space at the end of this document to explain where necessary.

1. Would you support County Board actions and/or policies that would address global climate disruption?

yes / no

2. Would you initiate forming a new Board committee to address environmental issues?

yes / no

V. Comments:

Please provide a personal statement about what you intend to accomplish, if elected to the County Board,
and/or provide additional information regarding any of the “yes / no” answers given above. (100 words)

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