James W. Kopec: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Campton HillsWebsite: http://www.vote4camptonhills.comOffice sought: Campton Hills Village trusteeAge: 60Family: Married to Linda for 26 years with 2 daughters. Heather graduated from Knox College in 2010 and is a program manager at a fund raising company in Iowa; Robin is in her second year at Carroll University, majoring in graphic communications and photography.Occupation: Electronics and Systems Engineer, designing electronic controls for home appliances.Education: Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering, 1972, Christian Brothers CollegeCivic involvement: Current Trustee and one of the founders of the Village.Joint Environmental Resources Management Committee (Campton Hills Campton Twp)Elected offices held: Village of Campton Hills Trustee; appointed in 2007, elected in 2008.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Determining the long-term needs of our residents and then developing the plans and funding to achieve them. These include the possibilities of negotiating for discounted electricity, and consideration of the creation a Village fire department to replace the 5 fire districts that currently serve the Village. These two issues will appear on the April 5 ballot to advise the Village Board.Key Issue 2 Appropriately staffing Village Hall so as to be prepared for a recovery in both residential and commercial development, as well as meeting the needs for a wide variety of municipal services for our residents. All the major appliance producers are increasing production capacity and introducing new models, so I suspect this activity is in anticipation of an upturn in the economy. Likewise, the Village needs to be prepared to add personnel from clerks to a Village Administrator, if necessary, as long as the long-term funding is available to cover the costs.Key Issue 3 Continuing to provide a proactive police department that will serve and protect the residents of Campton Hills and when necessary, assisting the Sheriff in adjacent unincorporated areas. Maintaining, at a minimum, the staffing level of 2 officers per shift, utilizing both full and part-time officers is an essential issue for me.Questions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My capability and willingness to literally do ""what ever it takes"" to see that the Village gets through the growing pains of these still formative years. I have wired Village Hall, triaged floods, worked the Farm Fest, written grants, provided emergency tech support and equipment, assisted staff, provided extensive research, attended conferences and intergovernmental meetings, and quite literally learned more about government than you really want to know. I have made the commitment to see that Campton Hills becomes the Village that will protect the interests of our semi-rural community and enable it to serve the needs of its residents.Given the delicate balance between the need for revenue and over-taxing local businesses, what is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.The local sales tax in the Village is only 1%, the same as it was before incorporation. These tax dollars are now returned to the community and spent locally instead of by the County. I would recommend maintaining a low and favorable tax rate to provide an advantage for our local retailers.Talking with your friends and neighbors, what seems to be their biggest public safety concern? Explain the concern as you see it, and discuss how you think it should be addressed.They are very concerned that the changes coming to the Fox River Countryside Fire/Rescue District on May 1 will result in a reduction of service, placing those residents of the Village within the district at higher risk. Without similar auto-aid agreements that provide support to the St. Charles Fire Dept. and the same level of investment in equipment (i.e. ladder truck), my neighbors are worried that they will not get the service they were willing to pay for with higher taxes.In these tight economic times, municipal budgets have to be prioritized. Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?Campton Hills is fortunate to have been formed by fiscally responsible citizens and started with a zero-base budget. Without the ability to levy a real estate tax except through referendum, all expenditures are limited by what income we receive through the State shared revenues and the taxes and fees permitted in non-home rule municipalities. Until the Census Bureau releases the new population numbers, we cannot budget for much more than the minimal and necessary Village services. When available, additional funds should be allocated for planning economic development, as well as addressing water-related issues.What#146;s one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?I would like to see the Village undertake a socio-economic survey to determine the demographics, economic trends and needs of the community. With a reliable analysis of the businesses and services that our community would support, the Village would then be able to attract new ventures and entrepreneurs capable of satisfying those needs. This survey would also help the existing businesses fine tune and expand their offerings, further enhancing the viability of Campton Hills.