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Alex Wimmer: Candidate Profile

McHenry County Board District 5 (Democrat)

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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: WoodstockWebsite: www.electalexwimmer@gmail.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: McHenry County Board District 5 Age: 29Family: Amy Wimmer (Spouse)Scarlett Wimmer (Daughter)Clementine Wimmer (Daughter)Theodore Wimmer (Son)Occupation: AttorneyEducation: Bachelor of Arts, Loyola University of ChicagoJ.D., University of IllinoisCivic involvement: Prior member of McHenry County Housing CommisionPrior Board Member for Families ETC.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers There were significant voting problems in the March primary. Are you confident sufficient steps have been taken to avoid a repeat in November? What role, if any, should the county board have in such matters?I am not confident that sufficient steps have been taken. The County Board must take the lead in overseeing the Clerk's offices changes to ensure an efficient and fair election.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 have lived in District 5 for the majority of my life. My wife and I plan on raising our three children here. My district has been affected as much as any other by the current County Board's failures of leadership. My background as an attorney has given me a front row seat to the struggles, both legal and financial, that residents face as a result of the choices of our County Board. It is a result of my conversations with residents of the county, as well as my own experiences, that has motivated me to run.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.Property taxes must be reduced to lessen the extreme burden that our County residents have been dealing with. As a result, we need to find ways to root out waste and inefficiencies in government so that we can continue to balance the budget. We also must invest in infrastructure to attract an influx of out of county sales tax and motor fuel tax revenue.How 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.The County Board has a responsibility to be transparent in its dealings. I believe the current Board has failed in this respect and this resulted in a lawsuit for violation of the open meetings act and an eventual settlement that never needed to happen if the law was followed. I think the Board can improve their transparency. I believe the County's FOIA request system is adequate but can be improved with new technology.Please list any elected office you've ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?I have never run for elected office.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I support a reduction in the size of the County Board which will save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. I believe a change is needed on the Board as the same people with the same policies are not getting us where we need to go.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Malala YousafzaiWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Your integrity is most important.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Spend more time finding college scholarshipsWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Philosophy. It taught me to solve problems using logic, reason, evidence, and most importantly common sense.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, "The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything."