ECC candidates square off on fiscal responsibility

Three of the four candidates running for two Elgin Community College trustee seats all say fiscal responsibility is a vital campaign issue.

But ask them just how the college should act responsibly, and they present very different viewpoints.

In a recent roundtable discussion at the Daily Herald, incumbent Robert Getz and challengers Rick Green and Donna Schuring-Redmer got the chance to square off on the single biggest problem the college faces: the economy.

Green, of Elgin, a longtime automotive professor at the college, noted that in its 60 years "ECC has always had a balanced budget." However, he expressed concerns about keeping college affordable for local students. Seeking grants and alternative funding sources, and continuing to work with state lawmakers should all be utilized to keep costs down.

Donna Schuring-Redmer, of West Dundee, noted that the college's tuition has more than doubled in a 10-year period because of shrinking state funding. She said she supports a bill for tax exemption for college text books and supplies, as well as advocating for increased funding levels for community colleges across the state.

Both Green and Schuring-Redmer expressed support for the college's $178 million bond referendum.

Incumbent Robert Getz is legally prohibited from expressing support or dissent about the referendum, bills himself as the 1 in 6 "no" vote against much unnecessary spending. Getz said he believes that the college has "been too kind in its expenditures."

Subsidizing arts groups that come to perform at the college could be a practical way to save money in the future, Getz said.

Instead of seeking out expensive local contracting firms, he suggested netting more affordable national ones.

If the college's $178 million bond issue is approved by voters April 7, "the single biggest challenge we face is how to get the biggest bang for taxpayers' bucks."

Challenger Robin Lisboa, also of Elgin, did not attend the endorsement session.