Q&A with Wolfe

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?

I am the incumbent. Believe it or not, I enjoy the work and think I am pretty good at it. As board members our main focus should be the budget and the efficient distribution of the taxes and fees we collect to elected county offices and departments under the county board. After that the policies which guide the expending of those funds by the departments and offices. Following that, the management of those departments under the county board. If we have the right policies and effective managers following those policies, should be relatively easy. It rarely is. Those issues that motivate me are the effective use of those tax dollars collected. After that, I am most interested and involved in transportation issues and land use. Specifically, nearly 70 percent of our budget (collected from property taxes) is spent from the time a person is arrested through the time the case is closed and/or disposed. If you are going to make effective use of the tax dollars collected, it is clear to me that this continuum needs to be addressed and made as effective and efficient as possible. Regarding transportation, we expend huge sums of money every year for maintenance of and expansion of our transportation network and yet our transportation system is strained to nearly the limit. Even if we had the money, we could not build our way out of the problem. We have enacted countywide impact fees on new construction (in which I was a leader). We have organized local communities in the north to support a toll bridge over the Fox (the concept of which I was again, the leader). Even with these initiatives, it has hardly met the need. Clearly, land use should become a focus. It has. We are working with the municipalities who drive land use through annexation. The sharp rise in fuel prices lately has made land use an issue becoming more sharply focused.

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.

Besides the three issues named above. I have led in economic development issues as a founding member of the Economic Development Advisory Board. Because cities drive or accommodate growth through annexation, the county has less of a role in economic development. But we can and have assisted the communities in our county with countywide studies, with small city grants (where applicable) and with gathering together those concerned and interested in economic development to work together, or at least more cooperatively in this area.

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?

I do support moving all the county's offices to the judicial center. It is part of a master plan voted on by the county board as a concept. The concept so far has not been shown to be flawed. The current county site should be sold and redeveloped. That is an instinctive reply. The site is within Geneva's jurisdiction and they will have a lot to say. I think the F.P. house is an historical house so there is that concern. The land down by the river is a forest preserve. There are many questions and pieces to the puzzle that need to be answered and moved around before that decision is made. But you have to admit, a relatively large piece of land near a train station and a downtown - there appears to be an obvious use, at least to an old appraiser like me. I'm willing to wait until we have more answers.

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?

I've tried to make some answer to this question in 1 and 2. Land use is the most challenging (read density issues). Land use drives transportation needs. Where the money comes from is the challenge. I don't know the answer to that one, but I am willing to work at it.

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.

In Question 4, I have stated that land use drives transportation. I believe that water availability will drive land use in the future. Neither the state nor Kane County entirely understands the long-term availability of freshwater yet. Or at least, there is no final report available. Development east of the Fox River, water was never an issue until lately. In the not terribly distant past, there were not enough people around to make freshwater an issue and once there were, communities, I think, always considered Lake Michigan as the ultimate backstop. And so it has turned out. We, on the other side of the river do not have that luxury as the state, the federal government and international agreements have made clear. Until relatively recently we assumed there was plenty of water below ground for us to continue to use it as we always have. I remember when Elgin decided to use the Fox River as a potable water source. Now, so does Aurora. In the long term, we are going to have to be better stewards of the water supply. That might mean cleaning stormwater runoff; it might mean yard cisterns to collect rain runoff from roofs. Out west, they have gray-water piping and reuse. All that having been said, we have not received a final report from the state and consequently, we have not been able to begin modeling use and outcomes.

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?

I think I've answered much of this above. To continue, we speak a great deal about the quality of life in Kane County. To a great degree the quality of life in our citizens' minds is dominated by how long they have to sit in traffic to get anywhere. Transportation in the future is going to be dominated by the price of fuel. We might not be looking at transportation issues the same way we do now in five years (maybe less).

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

No answer.

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.

None.