Kane District 11 candidate wants to address spending, taxing practices

Robert Janura, 60, of Geneva, is taking on Kane County Board member Mike Donahue in the District 11 Republican primary.

“We have to deal with a change in direction,” Janura said, explaining why he is running. “We have to turn around and deal with a greater transparency.”

Overall, at the county level, “There needs to be a greater review of how things are conducted,” he said.

Lawsuits by elected officials against the county board are one area that needs change, he believes.

“You have to deal with mediation vs. litigation,” he said of things such as Circuit Court Clerk Deb Seyller’s suit against the county. “We need to process this out instead of turning around and handing it over to attorneys.”

Janura also believes there is inequality between property taxes and services in certain areas of Geneva, because of disparity in assessments. “We are being assessed outrageously,” he said. Janura protested the assessment on his Keim Circle house to the Kane County Board of Review in 2010 and 2011. The assessment was revalued for 2010, but confirmed for 2011.

Janura claims the township assessor is looking at things inversely, first considering what taxing bodies say they need, then setting property values to enable that amount to be reached. The township assessor is an elected official of the township, not of Kane County.

Janura favors user fees to pay for services, including charging taxpayers in unincorporated areas a fee for sheriff’s protection. He said he doesn’t think it is fair residents of cities, who also pay city property taxes that pay for city police, should be picking up part of the bill for providing similar services to unincorporated users who pay only a county tax.

Janura, a self-employed engineer, moved to Geneva 15 years ago. He used to work for Cook County, as the manager of an energy conservation program, in the environmental control department, and in planning and development. He is also a pension plan trustee for Cook County.

A photo has been requested of Janura, as well as answers to the Daily Herald election questionnaire sent to all Kane County Board candidates. He has yet to submit either.

Although this would be Janura’s first foray onto a ballot, he is no stranger to the world of politics. His father, Arthur Janura, was the superintendent of the Cook County Forest Preserve District for 27 years. Robert Janura worked for the district, and also for Cook County. His brother, Art, was a Cook County judge, and his sister was a consultant for the Metropolitan Sanitary District. His grandfather was a Berwyn mayor.