Ron Ford: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: AuroraWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Kane County board District 6Age: 52Family: Married, 3 children; Wife Rhonda; Son Ron Jr. 28 plays for semi-pro football Kane County Chaos; Rashann 14 West Aurora freshman, Recieved Althlete of the year from Jewel Middle School; Daughter Ramica, 20 Junior at Lewis Unv plans on being a ChiropractorOccupation: small business owner General Contractor residential remodeling Also Kane County Board MemberEducation: West Aurora Graduate All American Athlete Award Tuskegee University BA Architecture, 1981 Illinois Institute of Technology 1yr of studies in civil engineering Many Credit Seminars in Engineering Field and ManagementCivic involvement: Past God's Gym and Aurora Christian Health Center Bridging The Gap Program at East and West to help advance and assist Latino young women Present Project Single Moms to educate,empower and assist single mothers Haley's Playground a development environment for special need kids Sundowners Track Club youth summer track club all ages, AAU level compete with youth across the United States in the Jr Olympics Team Illinios Youth Ministry at New Community Baptist Church (member) QCAAC-Quad County African American Chamber WIB-Workforce Investment Board Sagecrest Hills homework program, Chistmas Party/Toy Drive for Youth, and annual Back to Shool Supplies Living Daylighting mentoring, and community ooutreach program (advisory member) New Financial Empowerment During Economic Crisis outlines, shortsales, forclosure, credit scores, investing, and financial stability thinking, these are 1 day free seminars starting in 1st of MarchElected offices held: Present: Kane County Board Member 1st term Committees: Finance and Budget, Human Sevices, Judicial and Public Safety, Redistricting Task force, Labor Management, and Technology Committee Forest Preserve Commissioner 1st term Committees: Finance (chairman), Housing and Structure Sub-Committee)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Jobs creating stable employment in Kane County by improving the infrastructureKey Issue 2 Financial Stability for Kane County residents Foreclosures, lost jobs, affordable educational opportunities for jobsKey Issue 3 Health and safety of our Kane County residents safe neighborhoods and affordable health assistanceQuestions Answers Do you support a more stringent ethics ordinance for Kane County governing the conduct of elected officials and county employees' Why or why not? If so, what should the ordinance contain?Yes I do support a more stringent ethics ordinance for Kane County. I grew up in a low income environment raised by an outstanding single mother. My grandfather (Jessie Malone Sr.) and a man named Richard Shipley taught me at a young age that my character was everything. Some of what the ordinance should contain are, not to intentionally solicit employees, a gift ban, limits on dollar amount of excepting contributions. As an elected official as much as the state mandates allows us, we should want an effective enforceable ordinance.The county's portion of gambling proceeds has been decreasing every year for several years. What is your plan to prioritize use of that money? What might be done to wean the agencies and programs that receive this money off of it?They should be used to assist in purchasing needed items that help advance there programs. I have spent countless hours with organizations helping them develop a business like portfolio consisting of powerpoint presentation, active mission statement, goals and objectives, brochure formats, and professional budget formats and presentations, along with fund raising strategies.I believe to make our community based agencies and programs more self-sufficient a program that assist them in doing such professional profiles will allow them the opportunity for other funding. We should prioritize funding based on the needs of the community.Do you believe the Kane County court system needs a computer system upgrade that might cost as much as $12.6 million? If so, do you support using RTA sales tax money to fund the cost, or do you have a different plan? If not, what is your alternative plan?The need for this computer system is to create a very needed technology driven system in our judicial system. One that allows for efficiency, timely quality response, and protects confidential documents even more so than that of the present process. I believe that there are other funding opportunities than using the RTA sales tax; such as, capital projects funding, funding from individual department users, or maybe even bonds. There is a lot of work to take place before we can establish the true cost and value of the system. we need to get to that point. Also, these are not funds that would be spent all at once. Once we can get to that point, we can put in place a plan long or short term based on availability of funds.Do you believe county board members and the chairman should receive health insurance and pension benefits' If you are running for one of those positions, do you plan on accepting those benefits' Why or why not?I have accepted the benefits as part of the purpose of trying to be a provider for my wife and kids. The issue should be, how do we make health care cost effective for the county? I serve on the Human Services Committee and we have spent countless hours on finding ways to save taxpayers money on just that. Encouraging a health awareness program, telling vendors if they want county business they need to give us the best plan possible, also encouraging users that can to use generic brand medicine, and reduce emergency room visits, and more health care pre-maintenance with physician office visits.How do you resolve the ongoing debate over the county board setting budgets for departments run by other elected officials whom the county board has no control over? How should the county board enforce the budgets it sets'I serve on the Finance Committee and hope to continue. We have to do just what we have been doing. We have to do our homework, ask the hard questions, and hold the elected officials accountable to the public for their budgets even when they threaten to sue us. We have to work within the guidelines of the state mandates.