Lake Co. Board Dist. 23 candidates talk programs for minority residents

Incumbent Anne Flanigan Bassi, a Democrat from Highland Park, is facing off against Carlton “Carl” Marcyan, a Republican from Lake Forest, in the Nov. 2 race for the Lake County Board District 23 seat.

The district serves Highwood, Highland Park and portions of Lake Forest.

The candidates answered questions on issues important to residents in their district. What follows are the candidates’ responses to a Daily Herald questionnaire. They have been edited for spelling and grammar.

Q. Lake County’s minority population has been growing dramatically over the last decade. Describe a new program you will implement to better serve these communities.

Bassi. While I am sensitive to the needs of the population groups within my district, this is not the right time for any new programs. We need to examine the best use of pass-through funding like CDBG Home, Workforce Development, etc., to allocate scarce resources to the most critical needs throughout Lake County.

We were extremely fortunate to have opened a community health care center in my district a few years ago to serve the uninsured and underinsured residents of southeast Lake County. I worked with Highland Park and the Lake County Health Department to bring this project to fruition. I also work continuously with the municipalities and social service agencies in my district to identify and apply for grant funding whenever available.

Marcyan. My focus in this area will be on providing job opportunities to the minority population through economic development and job fairs. The best ways to support minorities in Lake County is to foster a business-friendly climate to attract business, as the majority of job growth in the future will come from small businesses. I would consider myself an ambassador for the county, selling our qualities and impressive work force to businesses everywhere in order to attract more jobs and reduce unemployment.