Beth Gehrke: 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:BioQA Bio City: ElginWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Plato Township Clerk (4-year Term)Age: 54Family: Married, 2 adult childrenOccupation: FarmerEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: FSA: Advisor, Extension Council,DuPage, Kane and Kendall Counties: Council member, 4-H: Westdel club leader, International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE) IL IFYE Ass'n Board: President,Board member, Kane County Farm Bureau: volunteer and member, Illinois Farm Families, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John, Sycamore, IL: Board of Education, Adult; Board of AdministrationElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoQuestions Answers Name the three most important goals or objectives this board should tackle in the coming term. Prioritize them, and briefly discuss why you believe each to be critical, and how the board should go about addressing them.Maximizing the value of every tax dollar for the benefit of our citizens.In the 21st Century, with municipalities gobbling up vacant land, why are townships needed? Should they be serving a new role? If so, what?Townships offer grassroots local government. Those serving in township government are your neighbors and are accessible to you. Township governments are crucial in rural areas to maintain roads, that while they may not be used by vast numbers of citizens, are used by farmers to bring to market the food needed by all people.What should be the primary responsibility of township government?By IL statute, three services are to be provided by townships: a general assistance program to qualifying residents, property assessment, and maintenance of township roads and bridges.In these hard economic times, can you identify some township expenses/programs that could be trimmed or eliminated to reduce the tax burden?All expenses and programs need to be examined and managed.What specific background or experience do you bring that makes you the best qualified candidate to serve as an elected official in the township?I have lived and worked in Plato Township for almost 50 years. I've seen the changes in growth and needs of the population during this time and would consider it an honor to serve my community.