Ersel Schuster: 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: WoodstockWebsite: http://electerselschuster.comOffice sought: McHenry County board District 6Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married No ChildrenOccupation: Printer / graphicsEducation: Master of Science ? National Louis Univ ? Counselor Bachelor of Arts ? National College of Ed.? Bus psychology Associate of Science ? McHenry County College Illinois Lincoln Excellence in Public Service Fellowship AlumniCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: McHenry County Board Member: total of 12 years (3 non consecutive) Seneca Township Supervisor: 16 years Republican Precinct Committeeman: 8 yearsHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Addressing the real needs and issues surrounding our groundwater, remains my greatest concern for the future of McHenry County and its citizens.Key Issue 2 Reducing the size of county governmentKey Issue 3 The county needs to reduce the amount levied on property taxes. It is not enough to say that the county will only increase the amount levied by the cost-of-living allowance.Questions Answers McHenry County has managed the recession without a budgetary crisis like those in other counties. How do you ensure the county continues on that path and that reserves aren?t depleted? Are there specific budget areas that need more attention?1. The only way this county can ensure the financial stability it currently enjoys is to elect people who understand that government was never intended to be the nanny for every conceivable idea/service. Educating board members on where we?ve been financially as a county; how we affected change that brought us out of serious financial difficulties; and, what causes run-way financial problems, would be a good start at keeping us on the path of financial stability. 2. More than 3/4th of county budgets are labor costs. This is not sustainable, especially when left with diminishing property values, thus less basis for revenue to support these costs. In my mind, public officials need to stop protecting their ?sacred cows? and to get serious about eliminating some county services.Does the McHenry County Board have a good transportation improvement plan? Please be specific and suggest whether you think anything is missing or should be scrapped.The plan itself is well prepared and presented. My issue with it is the redundancy of major projects. It seems the same roadways get the lions? share of transportation dollars year-after-year, while the majority of the county roads get band aids. Further, the county?s nearly two million dollar a year public transportation system should be scrapped. Chicago, with a near perfect grid system, cannot afford to operate bus service without heavy subsidies from every taxpayer in ?the state.? What makes McHenry County think bus service could be anything more than an extremely expensive ?taxi? service?Does the county need to address its ethics policies? Why or why not? If so, how?The county?s Ethics Policy was recently updated and 100% of those employees and elected officials falling under this Policy have completed the Ethics Training program. As with any policy, this too needs to be updated and improved on a regular basis.Assess McHenry County?s efforts thus far in terms of groundwater preservation and protection. What needs to be done now and in the future?Groundwater protection and preservation, on the part of the county, municipalities, villages and the public, needs to move beyond the suggested changing of shower heads, limiting the watering of lawns, rain barrels and the like. Without adequate water supplies, nothing else matters. It is critical that we take a collective-deep-breath and come to grips with the root cause of what we already know is a diminishing natural resource in highly developed parts of the county. In other words, with greater populations comes the need for more potable water.Assess how the county health department approached the whooping cough outbreak. What should have been done differently?Candidate did not respond.