District 2 board candidates make final campaign pitches
The challenger for a seat in DuPage County Board District 2 says the county should post the appointment process and finances of all commissions and agencies online.
Cathy Sewell, a retired CEO of a nonprofit organization, says she wants to avoid a repeat of the DuPage Water Commission fiasco, during which the agency misspent $69 million.
Sewell said the whole mess clearly illustrates what happens when a board charged with oversight keeps things from the public.
“Knowing how taxpayer dollars are spent is important,” said Sewell, the Democratic challenger to Republican incumbent Jeff Redick. “The cost to taxpayers is huge when mismanagement occurs. We cannot have the scenario we had with the water commission happen again.”
Sewell said her business background would provide value to the board. She said new ideas are needed to help get things changed on a board that now includes 10 attorneys and 15 Republicans.
“As a businesswoman, I am concerned with the groupthink mentality,” she said. “If you don't have a diversity of opinions or viewpoints, you're not going to get a any variety of opinions to choose from. It happens all the time on the board with the decisions that are made.”
Redick, an Elmhurst attorney, seeks re-election after a 2006 victory in the general election with 53 percent of the vote. In the primary, Redick had defeated a 20-year incumbent who he said had become disengaged with the community.
“I ran for it because I felt people of DuPage County needed more responsive representation that was engaged and actually represented their interests,” he said.
Redick said he has done that for four years and will continue to do so if re-elected.
“I have been on the board four years and have stated goals upfront with what I wanted to do,” he said. “I very proudly stand by my accomplishments and my record of accomplishments of what I have done.”
Since his election four years ago, Redick has been instrumental in amending county board rules that now require five-year budget and income projections as well as impact statements for all new programs.
He said if re-elected, he would do what he could to keep taxes down and keep the county on task financially.
“It is more important than ever that government be committed to living within its means and providing tax relief to its citizens,” he said. “To achieve these goals, leaders must be committed to prioritizing operations and engaging in long-term budget planning.”
District 2 includes all or parts of 12 communities, including Downers Grove, Woodridge, Glen Ellyn, Lombard and Elmhurst.