advertisement

Steve Carlson: Candidate Profile

Lake County Board District 7 (Republican)

Back to Lake County Board District 7

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: GurneeWebsite: Not yetTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake County Board District 7 Age: 67Family: married, 2 daughters, 7 grndchildresOccupation: Couny Board RepEducation: B.A. History/Poli SciWIUCivic involvement: County Board - 14 yearsPresident. Vice president/ Sgt. at Arms - Grandwood Park Civic AssociationElected offices held: Lake County Board - 14 yearsQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office? If you are running for re-election, is there an important project you want to implement? If you are a challenger, is there a particular issue that motivates you? Please explain.After 14 years, there is still so much to do. The introduction of Lake Michigan water to parts of the district is ongoing and must be seen to completion. Paratransit is a cause in which I am involved, it needs county wide consolidation. As chair of The Health and Human Services Committee, I am deeply concerned with the heroin epidemic in Lake County. A 211 system, where all social services could be accessed by a single phone number, needs to be investigated and if possible, implemented.As I said...there is still so much to do.What are your ideas to ensure the Lake County Discovery Museum remains relevant with county residents during the year it is closed while it moves from Wauconda to Libertyville and its new space is prepared?I have always emphasized the part of the Forest Preserve Mission Statement that refers to the preservation of the human history of the County. I favor the expansion of the current program that entails the installation of a sign at each forest preserve which details the history of each individual site, as well as information on the Discovery Museum. I look forward to a continuation of an excellent facility when it opens in a new, larger, centralized location, so as to better continue it's mission as the keeper of Lake County's rich human, as well as natural, history.Do you believe all of the county board's and forest board's committee meetings should be televised live and webcast? Why or why not?The least watched offerings on the county website are county board meetings. All are available to review in audio form. All are welcome to attend. That said, a new program to televise County Finance Committee meetings has recently been instituted. When sufficient time has passed to determine if this service is being utilized enough to justify the expense to the taxpayers, I will have enough information to form an opinion.Some municipalities are turning to Lake County government for contracted services in areas such as building inspections. For example, Lake Zurich signed a two-year contract with the county in late 2015 and expects to save $100,000 by paying $67 an hour for the inspections. Do you see this as a good thing for the county because of the revenue or are there concerns that should be addressed if these arrangements continue to grow? Please explain.This is a good thing for the County and a good thing for the municipalities. As we all know, Illinois as a state is burdened with more units of government than any other. This can result in expensive redundancies. While local government may be better able to handle some local issues, where there are cost savings and efficiencies to be gained, all the better.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?The only elective office I have ever run for is the Lake County Board. I have never been appointed to fill an unexpired term.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The Heroin epidemic, a 211 system, Paratransit services countywide, Water, consolidation of services to save on taxes and increase efficiency.As always, property tax relief, which the County Board has contributed to by controlling it's budget and maintaining a triple A Credit rating.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bob DoldWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Think first. Consider the ramifications of your actionsIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Marry the same wonderful woman, only do it much earlier.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. It gives me a broader perspectiveIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Think first. Consider the ramifications of your actions