advertisement

Kyle Scifert: Candidate Profile

Elgin City Council

Back to Elgin City Council

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: www.electkylescifert.comOffice sought: Elgin City Council Age: 38Family: Mother - Sharon Scifert Father - Dennis Scifert Sister - Kelle EisenhauerOccupation: Police Officer / Captian (Commanding Officer) Illinois Army National GuardEducation: B.S. Law Enforcement and Justice Administration M.S. Public Safety AdministrationCivic involvement: Veterans of Foreign WarsElected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?I have spent the last 22 years serving our Nation, our State and our communities. I was raised in a poor single mother household where I learned very quickly about hard work and perseverance. I know firsthand about how tough the road to success can be and the many obstacles that are placed in our way. I want to work to eliminate those obstacles, create a system of government that is for the people, by the people...and most important, give people hopeâ#8364;brvbar;hope that hard work and perseverance does pay off.City Manager Sean Stegaall says that the city's property tax levy -- which is staying flat this year -- is projected to increase by 5 percent in 2016 and 2017 unless cuts are made to public safety. However, some believe public safety budgets are untouchable. What is your stance? Would you make such cuts? If not, what alternatives would you propose?This is one of the foundations of my campaign. We must align our expenditures with our income...not continue to raise our income (taxes) to meet expenditures. It baffles me that the current council approved a 2015 budget with increased spending in new programs and positions, instead reducing spending. To arbitrarily say that public safety must be cut in the future to meet budget doesn't make any sense. Every city department can be more efficient and smarter with the use of tax payer money, not just public safety. A safe community brings in investment, investment creates sustainability and sustainability creates growth. Arbitrarily cutting public safety would not achieve any of those things. Any program/position within the city that cannot provide a real return on investment should be scrutinized for such cuts.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.Gangs and drugs continue to bring devastation to our city and families. The affects are felt in every aspect of community, from fear of being downtown, to tearing at the fabric of young families to disrupting our school system. We must re-think how we approach this systemic problem, from policing strategies to youth programs. Expanding the Elgin Police ROPE program and creating after school programs/youth involvement initiatives are just a couple of examples. Investing in such ideas would yield one of the greatest returns on investment...a thriving community that feels safe in our neighborhoods and downtown.The city of Elgin has invested resources into promoting arts and entertainment downtown, which Mayor David Kaptain and others believe can be a long-term economic engine . Do you agree with the approach? If so, why? If not, what would you propose instead?Investing in projects that can create sustainable growth and has a return on our tax payer funded investment should always be considered. If it fails to meet this standard, even though it may sound like a good idea, then the idea should not be considered. You cannot have sustainable downtown entertainment without downtown residents to support it. It is very difficult to have people living without jobs in the downtown corridor. And it is very hard to jobs downtown without the infrastructure to support such companies locating their business in the downtown area. This three pronged approach, infrastructure, businesses and residential must be pursued together, not independently...as they all rely on each other. Removing barriers and bureaucracy that would inhibit anyone of these areas would be a high priority of mine.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?Money corrupts our elected leaders and has inappropriate influence on decision making that affects the very people they are elected to serve. I want to remove money from the equation...I want to get elected the way elections were intended to be won...buy the voter not the donor. I will run to represent the citizens of Elgin without taking one single cent from any person, group or business. The time has come to be accountable to the voter not the donor.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Instilling common sense back to our local government, lowering our tax burden, not just on current taxpayers but on future Elginites as well, and getting back to a smaller government by eliminating unnecessary bureaucracies that affect every aspect of what government was intended to be.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Fancis. Not for his religion, but for his values and how he projects the meaning of life.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Hard work and perseverance are keys to success. Although not easy or fair, the two together gives you the highest probability of success.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I have no regrets. But I do believe I would have got more involved in government at an earlier age.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Social Studies. We live in a growing world and having an understanding of each other helps maintain a civilized society.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Never give up.