Q&A with McConnaughay

1. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what? What will be your main priority?

As a longtime resident, I know firsthand that there is no better place to live, work and raise a family than Kane County. I also know that our county is growing rapidly and that our greatest challenge is to protect and enhance our quality of life, regardless of population size. That is why, as county board chairman, I have made it a priority to bring community leaders together to identify our shared challenges and work together to find solutions. In less than four years, we have created a comprehensive strategic plan to guide county leaders, invested in road and bridge projects to relive traffic congestion, re-examined and strengthened our emergency response system to ensure the highest level of service, and replaced our finance system to provide greater accountability. These and other steps are necessary for our future - and they were taken without raising property taxes. But there is more work to do and I seek a second term in office so that we can continue our progress and build on our successes.

2. For incumbents and non-incumbents. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

• Introduced and developed the Kane County Strategic Plan to provide a roadmap for the county.

• Maintained a county property tax rate of less than 5-cents for every dollar - down from 7-cents per dollar a decade ago - while maintaining sufficient cash reserves and low debt.

• Brought together emergency response agencies to build interoperability, and communication between systems, in times of crisis.

• Implemented new county finance system and reformed the Purchasing Procurement Ordinance which improved efficiency, increased accountability, and provided transparency • Invested in infrastructure including launch of Stearns Road Bridge Project and numerous road expansions and improvements.

• Chaired the state's Regional Water Supply Planning Study, led efforts to ensure a sustainable water supply for Kane County.

• Strengthened the county's ethics ordinance, hired an ethics advisor.

• Completed construction of new Adult Justice Center on time and $2 million under budget

• Expanded the Kane County Farmland Preservation Program which now protects 4,655 acres of the county's most productive soils on 34 family farms.

• Launched new county Web site, www.countyofkane.org, providing unprecedented access to information and background materials.

• Created Code Red Reverse 911 System for notification of county residents in event of emergency

3. Do you support moving all county offices to one home surrounding the judicial center? If so, what should be done with the current county government property and buildings on Batavia Avenue? If not, then what's the best use for the remaining acreage at the judicial center?

Completion of the construction of the new Adult Justice Center means improved efficiency and better managed operations. After years of discussion and debate, I was proud to lead the county in making this complex a reality - and proud to see it completed on time and $2 million under budget. Beyond the new jail complex, we face the ongoing challenge of meeting the government services required for a population expected to exceed 800,000 by 2030. To that end, we must continue to strive to increase the efficiency of county government services. We acknowledge that expanded facilities will be required in the future - however, we must balance that long-term need with our existing fiscal realities. The county is updating the facilities master plan with an emphasis on efficient long-term consolidation of the administrative functions of county government, while at the same time identifying and planning for satellite locations that will provide standard services such as birth certificates and accept property tax payments. By reviewing future population trends, we can identify and plan for greater administrative efficiencies for public access and service delivery. Ultimately, we cannot expand services unless a revenue source exists and we can get the job done without increasing operational costs.

4. Kane County continues to experience a population explosion. What are the areas and services you believe will be most challenged by this growth? Where will the money come from to extend and increase services to these new residents?

All areas of government services will be challenged in some way by projected growth for the region. The reality of the trend of federal/state government mandating programs for local government to administer without identifying necessary funding sources to support those services, will continue to add strain to the county's budget. The county will need to continue to identify and prioritize the services required by federal and state law and aggressively address nonessential programs that are obsolete, under utilized, or inefficient. As our population grows, my administration's commitment to cost effective delivery of services will continue to pursue strategies which incorporate evolving technologies, cooperation with local governments for the elimination of duplicative services, and increase administrative cost efficiency through pooled purchasing power in areas such as health insurance and commodity purchasing. We must protect our taxpayers from bearing the cost of new growth. Revenues derived from fees placed specifically on new building developments through transportation impact fees and special service area levies will continue to be necessary to fund critical infrastructure associated with new growth.

5. The county has taken a leadership role in studying the issue of long-term water supply maintenance and protection. What should the county's emphasis be in this area over the next few years? Explain.

Current studies estimate that by 2030 the county will require an additional 50-60 million gallons of water per day to service an increased population of 300,000. My administration has taken the lead in bringing community leaders together to create a long-term strategy which ensures future generations have a safe, clean and sustainable water supply. Specifically, the county has adopted a seven-step water resource planning process. We have successfully collected information identifying the depth of our challenge, and over the next four years will work with municipalities and county stakeholders to formulate, evaluate and rank alternative water resource plans. A key element of this plan will include the development of a public education initiative placing a high priority on the importance of citizen water conservation. Following the 2005 drought, the state issued an executive order to develop a state and regional water supply management plan including the initiation of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Supply Planning Group, comprised of 35 leaders from an 11-county area. Because of Kane County's leadership, I was asked serve as chairman. I intend to work with regional planning agencies to obtain full funding from the state to complete this essential regional study.

6. Transportation issues continue to be a major concern to residents. How would you judge the county's response to their demands so far? What would you consider to be of highest county priority in this area and how would you fund its delivery?

We have seen the gridlock that occurs when communities grow without building a transportation system to accommodate added traffic, and we must ensure that does not occur in Kane County. The board has made investments in roads, bridges and other transportation upgrades a top priority. Meeting growing transportation needs is a constant challenge, particularly with no funding commitment from the state to upgrade its aging road system. With that reality, Kane County has responded by - working to increase our share of federal transportation dollars and reforming our impact fee structure so developers, not taxpayers, pay for roads tied to new construction. Our top priorities remain the Stearns Road Bridge project and improvements on Orchard and Anderson roads, and intersection upgrades - which are funded through local and federal dollars. Transit initiatives such as "Randall Road for Tomorrow: An Emerging Bus Rapid Transit Corridor" will reduce congestion and provide transit service for the population and employment centers of tomorrow. By enacting land use strategies to shape future development of our road system, reduce motor-vehicle use by encouraging pedestrian and public transit options, and coordinate with community planning to reduce congestion on the highway system, we can provide more walkable, transit oriented communities.

7. Not including those issues already identified above, is there another issue you believe will affect the county over the next four years? If so, define it and explain how you would like to see it addressed.

In addition, there are several areas that require the county's attention; we must continue our work to ensure a strong mix of housing options, identify further efficiencies in our growing judicial system, protect our rural tradition by continuing our award-winning Farmland Protection Program and Open Space initiatives, which have been at the forefront and are being studied for replication in other counties. Our Riverboat Grant Program will continue to provide enhanced support for community organizations in the interest of environment, education and economic issues. Because our community continues to provide a high quality of life, businesses are looking to Kane County to either develop new opportunities or relocate. As a result, the county has stepped up efforts in the area of economic development to identify those opportunities which result in sustainable employment throughout the county. We must build on our efforts to bring public safety and municipal leaders together to strengthen our E-911 service, in communities across our nation; we have seen time and again the importance of a coordinated, immediate response to emergencies. Residents must have the peace of knowing that in times of need, they will receive a level of response that is second to none.

8. Please list the names of all relatives employed by or involved in contracts with Kane County, their relationship to you and their position or area of business.

Mitch Radman, Information Technologies Department, became a son-in-law in February 2008.