Forum features Geneva hopefuls
Candidates seeking all manner of Geneva offices submitted themselves to public examination Wednesday night at a forum sponsored by a new government watchdog group.
And while audience members asked about school spending and a new library, it was the portion of the night devoted to the Geneva Township assessor race that got a bit testy.
Forum organizer Bob McQuillan, co-founder of For Accountable Controlled Tax Spending, cut off township Supervisor Patrick Jaeger in the middle of a question about statements Gary Fritz made about his work as a deputy assessor for Rutland Township, saying that Jaeger was doing more of a personal attack than asking a question. Fritz is running for assessor against Denise LaCure, presently a Geneva Township trustee.
"The facts are an attack?" countered Jaeger.
Candidates for city council, township highway commissioner, township assessor, library board and school board answered questions given to them in advance by FACTS and questions from the audience. FACTS formed in September 2008. It has about 65 members who "meet" via e-mail. Its goal, McQuillan said, is "to inform and educate the local Geneva taxpayers on how the local government operates," then later offering advice to taxing bodies on spending. Members attend civic meetings and report back to each other.
City candidates were asked whether the city should pay for bike lanes to be put on streets; most said it was a good idea, but that the city shouldn't spend any money on it during these tough economic times. They also discussed whether the city should provide direct payments for construction and renovation to entice businesses to town; most favored tax incentives instead.
Highway commissioner candidate Mark Wissing, presently a township trustee, criticized Carlson's attendance record at board meetings, and the maintenance of roads. He suggested that most of the work could be contracted out to Kane County or the cities of Batavia and Geneva, given that the township, the smallest in the county, only has about 10 miles to maintain. "I'd like to see this layer of government go away," he said.
One person asked library board candidates whether they had considered putting a new library near Randall Road, closer to the center of the district. The four who attended (Lance Marcinkus was absent) all called for keeping it downtown.
Both assessor candidates pledged to make the office more available to residents, with Fritz promising evening hours and LaCure offering evening and weekend hours by appointment.
School board candidate Mark Grosso called the district "top heavy" with administrators. Incumbent Tim Moran said that if teachers, whose contract expires in July, "want a salary increase, there is going to have to be some giveback in the benefits department." Lucy Cave suggested surveying residents about interest in full-day kindergarten and how to pay for it. Incumbent Bill Wilson suggested raising student fees, instituting a hiring freeze and holding off a year on curriculum purchases to save money. Candidate Matt Henry was not there.
City council candidate Ralph Dantino missed due to illness, and township highway commissioner John Carlson was out of town attending a convention, sending a supporter to speak in his place.