Dist. 5 candidates quizzed on budget

Alternatives to DuPage County's "doomsday budget" were the focus of a candidate forum Wednesday for the three Republican candidates seeking the two open District 5 county board seats.

Jim Healy is the only incumbent in the Feb. 5 primary race that also features former Naperville Unit District 203 board vice president Gerry Cassioppi and current regional school board Trustee Joe Wozniak. District 5 covers the far southwest portion of the county, mostly made up of Naperville.

The forum was sponsored by the Naperville Area Republican Women's Organization.

Much of the candidates' two-minute introductory speeches centered on the county's current budget crisis. Most of the questions lobbed at them during a question-and-answer session hit on aspects of the ongoing saga as well.

Besides picking party nominees for the November general election, county voters will decide on a sales tax request during the Feb. 5 vote that would cover a $40 million budget deficit and stave off about 240 layoffs from county public safety departments.

Cassioppi said if the tax hike request fails, he'd look into a hotel/motel tax to cover a portion of the shortfall.

"I'm running because I want to bring fiscal and business experience to the county board," he told the crowd of roughly 30 people. "As a corporate attorney and the fact that I'm a (certified public accountant), it gives me a real advantage with the financial problems we're facing right now."

Wozniak suggested one way to trim the deficit was through a hiring freeze.

"There are about 50 county jobs not filled already," he said. "Maybe if the people don't approve the tax hike, we don't need to fill those jobs."

Healy, who has been on the county board since 2000, pitched an alternate budget during hearings late last year. The board eventually voted against his proposal, but he said it remains an option if the tax hike doesn't go through.

"For four years I've submitted alternate budgets," he said. "One of the ideas I had this year was using reserves at the health department while the county got back on its feet."

Cassioppi even endorsed Healy's alternate budget.

"Jim's budget looks better than the original," he said.