Kurt Johnson: 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: VoloWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Volo Village Board Age: 47Family: Wife Jennifer, Sons - Chase, Ben, Nick, KeatonOccupation: Reinsurance Claims ManagerEducation: BS Economics, Illinois State UniversityCivic involvement: Village of Volo Planning and Zoning Commission Member (2010-2013) Village of Volo Board Trustee (2013-present) Active Supporter of TSA-IL (Tourette Syndrome Association of Illinois)Elected offices held: Village of Volo Planning and Zoning Commission Member (2010-2013) Village of Volo Board Trustee (2013-present)Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?The roots that my family have been made in Volo since 2007 and my active interest and desire to see Volo develop into truly a "family community".What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.I feel the Volo sales tax is commensurate with other local communities, so I would say they are appropriate. I believe property tax "rates" are extremely high for certain Lake County taxing bodies, but I feel Volo's local tax "rate" is adequate.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?I feel that the Wauconda Fire District and the Lake County Sheriff's Dept. have done an outstanding job in serving and supporting the Village over the years. No public safety concerns at this time other than working with IDOT and Lake County to improve some intersection issues.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?I think we have made huge strides over the past year in hiring a highly experienced Village Administrator who has already addressed the need for such allocations. We are facing and incurring some huge cost right now and that will continue (mainly Lake Michigan Water), but we can't lose sight of maintenance and improvement of other infrastructures. Those need funding and reserving so that they are part of our expected annual costs. I believe our residents feel that the top of that list would be our roadways, maintenance and development of our parks, and parkway tree maintenance.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?A Congo River or Volcano themed "Putt Putt" golf course. Family oriented, boaters passing through love it. Someone come build it!!!! Many ideas are discussed and gaining traction, but we need more ideas from the residents themselves (as crazy as they may sound, like mine!) Park ideas and improvements have been voiced, but we need more input as to what other services Volo wants to encourage or attract. Talk to your mayor, administrator, and trustees.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Lake Michigan Water improvements and how we ultimately fund the project will be the greatest challenge of any board member. This is extremely important and poses very difficult upcoming decisions that impact our residents' service fees and taxes for years to come. Its very important that we get that right. Again, I encourage residents to attend board meetings and project informational meetings so that their voice can be heard, or contact the Village Board and staff directly.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Warren BuffettWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Success is only measured by effort and can only be guaranteed at 100%.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?A career in music.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Physics / Mathematics. Fascinates me.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Play hard, work harder, and don't be afraid to follow your dreams.