Jeremy Custer: Candidate Profile

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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: Glendale HeightsWebsite: jeremycuster.comOffice sought: DuPage County board District 4 Age: 26Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Chief of StaffEducation: Bachelor of Art from Ripon College; Politics and Business with a concentration in National SecurityCivic involvement: I have long been a grassroots volunteer and worker for many charities over the years including the Children's Miracle Network, Feed My Starving Children, Stand for Children and various food pantries. Also, I have the privilege in my role as Chief of Staff of working with many of DuPage's finest non-profit organizations and helping assist them anyway possible.Elected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers Outline two initiatives you have for the county and/or your specific district.My local initiative would be establishing a full-time constituent service office that would listen to, and be responsive to the needs of residents of the 4th District. On a county level, I believe that we need an ethics reform ordinance. First, I would like to see a lobbyist registration created. Second, we need an office of the Inspector General. Lastly, we need local campaign disclosure that compares campaign donations against records of those who receive county contracts. I hope this openness and transparency will help keep residents of DuPage informed about their county government.Do you think county board members should receive pensions? Why or why not? If elected, will you accept a pension?Although I plan on being a full-time county board member, I will not take a pension. I think that compensation packages of elected officials should be carefully examined. As I am sure you are aware the county board recently gave themselves a taxpayer funded raise. I believe that compensation for county board members should not be set by the board members themselves, who often enjoy the pay increases. I would support an independent commission setting the pay of board members, or an ordinance that sets the pay of members as a percentage of the median income of its residents.What specifically should the county do to address flooding issues and how should such improvements be funded?We need to find collaborative solutions to flooding that are environmentally friendly, maintain quality of life of residents, and cost effective to the DuPage taxpayer. Investing in infrastructure, and developing zoning codes are essential to addressing this problem. There was a recent bill in Springfield that gave the county the ability to charge a "storm-water fee" that was not supported by DuPage legislators. Two counties were involved in the bill, DuPage and Peoria. The main issue with this legislation was that Peoria gave its residents a say before the fee was added, and DuPage did not.What would you like to see happen to the county fairgrounds in Wheaton? Should the DuPage County Fair be moved? Why or why not?In keeping with long time tradition of the DuPage County fair, I believe it should stay in its current location. It offers the opportunity for thousands of DuPage families to come together in the heart of DuPage county to share in our local culture. I would have to see a compelling reason from the opposition to consider moving the fairgrounds elsewhere.What should the county do to improve transportation throughout DuPage and specifically in your district?In DuPage we need to continue with the trend of investing in roads and commercial transportation. We have one of the nation's largest infrastructure projects right now in DuPage; the Elgin-O'Hare Western Access project. These projects stimulate our economy and let residents know we care. Where the county is lacking is public transportation. I have assisted in writing legislation that gets DuPage its fair share of funding. A disproportionate amount of funding goes to Cook County and the City of Chicago. As congestion increases, the need for public transportation will only increase. We need to start finding solutions now.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Public Safety is a concern of mine. I am pleased of all the work elected officials and public safety officers have done to deal with the heroin problem plaguing DuPage County. I wish the county could have addressed this problem earlier. I was pleased to see Governor Quinn sign the Heroin Task Force bill. We need to continue to educate our citizens about this grave problem and learn from this when other public safety crises, unfortunately, but inevitably emerge. I plan on being a proactive member of the county board who will address these concerns head on.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Sen. Tom Cullerton, I am pleased to work for someone who truly puts people over politics.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Always ask questions and to put family first.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?If you learn from your mistakes and make amends there is no need for a do over. I try to live by this.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I have always loved history and math. Which, when used together are helpful in politics and government.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Learn or try something new everyday and put back into life more than you take from it.