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Bob Bednar: Candidate Profile

Lake Recorder of Deeds (Republican)

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: MundeleinWebsite: http://www.bobbednarforrecorder2012.orgOffice sought: Lake Recorder of DeedsAge: 55Family: Married 23 years to Jo Ann, 1 daughter Emily in CollegeOccupation: School Bus Driver. Previously worked over 30 years in Banking and Real Estate.Education: Lewis University - Romeoville, Illinois - Bachelor of Science ? Accounting Northwestern University ? Chicago, Illinois - Completed all six ?CFP? (Certified Financial Planner) classes in November, 2007.Civic involvement: Have been serving as Lake County Republican Treasurer since March, 2010.Elected offices held: Served as a Lake Bluff Park District Commissionner from April 2003 to April 2005.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Eliminate layers of Government waste. Consolidate the Recorders office into the County Clerk's office by December 2014. 86 counties in Illinois do not elect a recorder of deeds. In those 86 counties, documents are recorded in the County Clerk's office.Key Issue 2 Promote additional taxpayer savings through intergovernmental agreements. There are Office consolidation opportunities available thanks to technology advancements that can eliminate duplication of services.Key Issue 3 Stop the reinventing of Government. The Lake County Recorder of Deeds should stop producing videos promoting the purchase and financing of Real Estate that promotes friends and acquaintences. There are several of these self promoting videos out there on the Lake County Government website that were made at taxpayer expense. They provide no value to the taxpayers.Questions Answers Should the recorder of deeds office be merged with the Lake County clerk?s office, as has been done elsewhere in Illinois?Yes. The office of Lake County Recorder of Deeds should be eliminated and its functions and duties should be consolidated into the County Clerks Office. Lake County Voters should be given the option to weigh in on this decision through a County Wide referendum. I think the current Recorder has been a fine public servant - and the Management of this office by a Democrat is not the issue. The issue is the streamlining of Lake County government. The cost savings available to Lake County taxpayers should outweigh the politics.What, if any, new ethics-related rules are needed for the recorder?s office?The Recorder of Deeds should stop producing videos that are self serving to the public official holding the office. These videos are made at taxpayer expense and provide no value to taxpayers.What technology upgrades are needed in the office and how would you pay for them?Electronic access could be increased. I would study what other counties are doing and then do Savings vs. Cost studies before making any decisions.What changes would you propose to improve the operation of the office of recorder of deeds? Why?This office is top heavy in administtration. We maintain a retail counter when the bulk of the work comes in from Mortgage Lenders, Attorneys, and Title Companies. Individual Homeowners rarely come in to record their own deeds - so why are we maintaining staff to support a non existant retail presence?How would you go about improving government transparency and ease of use of records for the public?The electronic access systems available today are remarkable. They are cost effective while providing 24/7 availability.