Andrew E. "Drew" Frasz: 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: ElburnWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Kane County Board District 18 Age: 59Family: Wife of 35 years, Gail, two children, Laura and Aaron. Aaron is serving in the U.S. Army.Occupation: excavating contractorEducation: Associates degree ,College of DuPageCivic involvement: LaFox Civic Assn., Vice Pres. 2000 to present. Our company has volunteered in the const. of the Kaneland Career Center Fire Training facility as well as the const. of 3 veterans memorials as well as several eagle scout and Make A Wish projects .Elected offices held: Kane County Board Member Dist. 18 (previously Dist. 26) 2008-present. Precinct Committeeman Blackberry Twp. Pct. 4 2008-presentQuestions Answers Do you believe Kane County Board/Forest Preserve District members should have continued access to per diem payments, health insurance and pension benefits?The per deim only applies to the Forest preserve and that is the only compensation, I support it. The health insurance is not free, we pay about $500/month plus a co pay and I do take part in this program as a County employee.If a proposal was made to eliminate it I would consider it. The pension I would support eliminating. Several years ago I filed paperwork to withdraw from the pension, but was told once you are enrolled you can not withdraw. The legal question of offering benefits to some employees but not the board may be a issue.For decisions that specifically or mainly impact one county board district, should the rest of the board defer to the wishes of the county board member who represents the impacted district?No. The local board member usually has extensive knowledge of a issue and may have been involved in many meetings prior to the board discussion. We always give a lot of weight to the local Reps. opinion. However ,citizen comment, staff opinion, and input from local officials should also be considered. Kane County is 520 square miles so a Rep. form Montgomery for example may have never been to Hampshire.So we depend on that local background, but not entirely.Do you support the redevelopment of the former Settler's Hill landfill? What is your vision for the future use of that site?Yes, but it is not up for debate, it is mandated. The citizens of Geneva and Batavia endured 35 years of truck traffic and odor with the promise of a fully developed open space when the landfill was closed. This was part of the original agreement. Also a fund was created from dumping fees to pay for the redevelopment process. We have already developed a concept plan showing all the suggested uses to date. Many, but not all will make it to the final plan.I do support the cross country track and field plan currently in discussion.Do you support the push to keep the tax levies frozen for both the county board and forest preserve district? How long is it realistic for that freeze to remain in place?Absolutely.This has been a bipartisan effort by the County Board with the leadership of the Chairman.The county wide elected officials, our department heads, directors, and employees can all take credit for this.It was done in a recession while still maintaining competitive compensation for our employees and maintaining a AA+ credit rating. We are providing county services at the same cost we did five years ago, and that is a great accomplishment. I think we can try to maintain the frozen levy for 1-2 more years. Revenues are slowly finally moving back up from fees etc. and that helps.Please list any elected office you have ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?I ran for this county board seat (designated as district 18 now, 26 at the time) in 2008 and won the republican primary. When no democratic candidate filed I was appointed early because the current board member took on a new job and left the board. I was reelected in 2012, so I will have served 2 four year terms by next Nov.. I have also served two term as Precinct Committeeman for Blackberry Township Precinct 4 during the same time.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am a lifelong area resident. I love Kane County and plan to live here the rest of my life so I am passionate about smart growth and keeping special interest influence out of county government.I have a consistently high meeting attendance record .I have delivered several major projects to my district, including railroad horn noise abatement,obtained land for sports fields, solved major drainage issues, moved the Anderson bridge to completion,and improved traffic safety at Kaneland High School.As Vice Chairman, Transportation Chairman, and Development Committee member I can continue to deliver solutions to District 18.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Governor Walker of Wisconsin.He identified what needed to be done to turn his state around, said he would do it , and did it.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?A sense of community, I grew up in Geneva and you helped your neighbors, got involved, kept things neat, and said please and thank you.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I have few regrets. I am a good writer with bad handwriting and it is hard to correct later in life.So I chose better handwriting.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I still enjoy American and military history.I enjoy seeing how decisions affected outcomes. You can apply lessons learned to current problems.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Your life is the culmination of your decisions ( and a little luck), make well thought out decisions and take your time doing it.