From Nunda Township Trustee Rob Parrish, who lost to Mike Lesperance eight years ago by three votes and has been bird-dogging him every since with the help of his brother, until-recently also a nuda Township Trustee.:
I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the office of Nunda Township Highway Commissioner. I will be positioned on the ballot for the Consolidated Election that takes place on April 1, 2025.
As I finish my 45th season of asphalt paving, I believe the position of Highway Commissioner is one in which I can utilize my professional experiences, communication skills, leadership/team building practices, and proven fiscal responsibility to serve the residents of Nunda.
My interest in running for political office stems from the belief that the residents of Nunda have become as frustrated as I am with the continued economic pressures we must all deal with today.
These frustrations include increased taxes, rising inflation, and diminished personal budgets caused by a net reduction in incomes.
Specifically, I am running for the position of Highway Commissioner because the people of Nunda deserve a candidate who can reform the careless spending practices and implement a fiscally conservative Road District, with better leadership, open communication, and transparency.
As a true professional, who has the abilities to run the department like a business, I will cut the operational costs required while increasing the current levels of service, and develop Need Based Budgets built on the solutions identified by collaborative communication with the residents.
As I embark on my campaign, I wanted to share with you the issues that are important to me, and what I am committed to change when I am elected. As your Highway Commissioner I will;
Remove all forms of nepotism practiced by the current commissioner.
Find resolution to the State’s Attorney and Sherriff offices’ current investigation of the road commissioner’s apparent misuse of our public funds for his private gain. (Wegner Road IGA/Park)
Bring fiscal responsibility, effective leadership, and professional collaboration to the township office.
Eliminate wasteful spending and create strategic plans for the road maintenance, snow removal, and capital expenditures that will benefit all residents of Nunda Township.
Advocate for increased transparency, better communication, and restore integrity in the office, with an emphasis on accountability to the residents’ concerns via phone, email, or Facebook.
Work collaboratively with Nunda residents, McDOT engineers, Crystal Lake School District 155 officials and concerned parents to solve safety issues that exist at the Walkup and Dvorak Drive entrance to Prairie Ridge High School.
Find new feasible solutions to the current Highway Commissioner’s propensity to fund the largest artificial non-profit construction company in all of northern Illinois with Nunda Taxpayer dollars.
As an 8-year elected trustee on the Board of Nunda Township, I have been successful in the goal to annually abate $100,000, as a result of responsible spending habits.
I also worked hard to implement Nunda’s first competitively bid “township-wide single contractor garbage service”.
This program resulted in savings to the residents exceeding $900,000 over the life of the contract, with an even greater benefit by reducing the negative impact of multiple companies’ overweight garbage trucks on neighborhood streets weekly by 5-fold.
The current road commissioner’s practices of “Fire/Ready/Aim” remedies for road work issues will end.
These errant practices cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in arrears to solve the chaos they create (i.e. lawsuits with multiple subdivision residents, storm water violations, EPA issues, engineering inadequacies, and lack of proper building/zoning permits). Residents should never feel ignored, harassed, or violated.
As your Highway Commissioner, I will work collaboratively with all Nunda residents and Nunda municipalities to develop fiscally responsible solutions utilizing open communication, proper engineering, and proper permitting.
Gone will be the unbudgeted need for monies spent in arrears to cover the negligent actions completed ahead of proper planning.
As the NTRD Commissioner, I will work to find equitable resolutions to the hardships cast on innocent Nunda Township neighborhoods by the current commissioner Mike Lesperance’s actions.
These neighborhoods include, Running Iron, Marrietta Drive, Colby Point, Red Barn Road, Drake Drive, Stueben Woods, and Le Villa Vaupell.
All residents, victimized and bullied by the township road district they support
through taxation.
The current approved freeze of the tax levy requires all Nunda municipalities to work together to maximize the utility of the fixed budgeted monies.
Through implementation of intergovernmental agreements, I will partner with fellow Nunda Township cities and villages faced with similar challenges of declining revenues.
By combining labor, equipment, trade knowledge, and buying power, our increased means and methods will result in successful solutions for road maintenance and snow removal expenses for all Nunda residents (municipal and rural).
I ask that you take an interest in my campaign and the first step toward positive change in the Nunda Township Highway Department.
For more information about my campaign or to contact me please feel free to call me at
(815) 378-4459, visit my website www.ElectRobParrish.com or email me at robparrish@sbcglobal.net.
When the timeline for the Consolidated Election nears, with your permission, I would be honored to install an “Elect Rob Parrish” campaign sign in your yard, as a display of your support for the changes I propose for office of Nunda Township Highway Department.
I am grateful for your interest and support,
