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Nick Chirikos: Candidate Profile

McHenry County board District 1 (Democratic)

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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: AlgonquinWebsite: www.nickchirikos.comOffice sought: McHenry County board District 1 Age: 66Family: Married to Debbie 12 years. Two grown daughters and three grandchildren.Occupation: Residential new construction and remodelingEducation: Maine Township High School East BA University of Denver, Denver, COCivic involvement: Member, Director and Vice President: McHenry County Historical Barn Preservation Association Commissioner and Chairman: McHenry County Historical Preservation CommissionElected offices held: McHenry County Board 2012-2014Questions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?I am not motivated by any particular issue, nor do I hold strong preference or take sides pertaining to issues confronting McHenry County. I attempt to be a neutral arbiter of issues, and to seek out the positions of my constituents; to educate them where information is scarce or lacking, and to provide an environment where knowledgeable decisions can be made by the greatest number of people. Where an issue becomes so public, blatant or egregious that it demands a position, I will support that issue or oppose it based on the positive or negative effects it has on constituents.Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the county should deal with them.Answering this question with 100 words is preposterous. The county's budget must balance expenditures against revenues as a matter of policy. From a financial perspective, McHenry County is guided by several long range plans and strategies which provide guidance for a balanced budget. Our county's financial position will remain strong. We maintain our AAA credit rating, largely due to efforts of staff and the guidance of board members. The main challenges to our financial stability are: stagnant business growth, lack of good jobs and the proliferation of substandard wages, healthcare costs, and resistance to investment in infrastructure.If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?-Advocate for the reduction in the size of the county board and increasing the number of voting districts in McHenry County. -Promote the construction and expansion of a high-speed fiber optic communications network throughout the county to government centers, public safety, hospitals, schools, businesses and eventually to residences. -Advocate for community mental health, family services, developmentally disabled and senior care transportation. -Monitor and develop policies to bring non-dedicated and heritage roads into the public domain -Worked with citizen groups in developing a fair and equitable Unified Development OrdinanceHow do you rate the county government on transparency and the public's access to records? If you consider it adequate, please explain why. If you think improvements are needed, please describe them and why they are important.McHenry County has received high marks for its efforts in making information available to the public. These efforts are adequate but improvement is always possible. Government's responsibility to its citizens is open and honest communication of information. Much has been said recently about auditing procedures and the designation of such audits as "internal", preventing the dissemination of that information to the public. I intend to examine this issue more closely, as it has raised the public's ire. Whether or not this is prudent not been fully determined, and there are valid reasons to withhold information from public view.Name one concrete program you'll create or personnel move you'll make to improve efficiency in the office or make it more successful. Explain how it will be funded and how you will overcome any obstacles to initiating it.County board members neither create programs nor 'move personnel'. If I had such authority though, I would create a county-wide initiative to develop "fiber to the home", a fiber-optic internet backbone with nodes to every neighborhood and lines to individual homes. Presently, high speed (1 gigabit and up) fiber deployment is coming to our community college, certain government centers, hospitals and some schools. When fiber replaces the costly internet service provided by cable, telephone and satellite companies, there occurs a quantum leap in business growth, educational development, public safety benefits, government efficiency and entrepreneurial creativity.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The Uniform Development Ordinance is most significant presently, as a driving force in updating outmoded zoning, development and other county ordinances by combining them into a single, cohesive set of regulations. It provides citizens and companies a more clear understanding of our zoning and development standards, and provides a path for annual review and revision. Its 'sister' ordinance, the Stormwater Management Ordinance (SMO) and the Water Resources Action Plan are critical documents for strategic planning for the future of the county.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.