Challenger will reform forest preserve

Dan Hebreard, a candidate running for president of the DuPage County Forest Preserve, states that he, if elected, would: 1) significantly reduce the $500,000-plus in salaries and benefits received by Forest Preserve Commissioners (who only meet monthly) to be more in line with other school, park, village, police and fire boards; and 2) would re-purpose the $9 million dedicated to a golf club in Addison's Oak Meadows and instead fix dilapidated preserve buildings, replace archaic pit bathrooms with modern ones having running water, repair in-need bridges, connect isolated trails and embrace current technology to make preserve data available on today's phones and apps. This sounds great. I see no reason to doubt Dan at this point; I take him at his word.

On the other hand, the incumbent president seems quite satisfied with the excessive salaries and benefits, and has prioritized continued, extravagant spending which benefits only the few. I have no reason to doubt the incumbent either; I take him at his word as well, as demonstrated by his irresponsible actions over the last four years.

To me the choice is clear, Dan Hebreard should be president because he has a vision of safe and modern open spaces administered by people who simply believe in the purpose of a forest preserve. The incumbent seems to stand for turning forest preserves into businesses visited only by the well-off and administered by people more interested in making an excessive, second salary. Dan Hebreard deserves our vote DuPage.

Julie Federico

Naperville