Edmund Nendick: 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: AuroraWebsite: http://www.ednendick4clerkofcircuitcourt.comOffice sought: Kane Clerk of the Circuit CourtAge: 63Family: Married,four children,six grandchildrenOccupation: V.P. O'Connor and Nendick A Veteran run company working to bring jobs back to America,IL.,Kane CountyEducation: B.A. Lewis University Squadron Officiers School AFU Air Command AFUCivic involvement: On Dan Rutherford's Advisory Council on Job Creation Member Reserve Officiers Association Aircraft Pilots Association Turners Club Precinct CommitteemanElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 No New Spending. If your property values have gone down and your Property taxes haven't , I am a fiscally conservative person who will work to improve the effeciency of running the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office thereby potentially reducing the cost of government.Key Issue 2 Transparency. The Clerk of the Circuit must run an office that is transparent to the county board members and the voters. Budgets need to be explained and accountable. The Clerk of the Circuit Court needs to be a person above reproach. One with Integrety and not associated with the previous administrations legal problems.Key Issue 3 Efficiency. The managing of a unit with over 100 employees needs someone with experience. The manager needs to know how to improve services and improve efficiency. No one else running has that combination.Questions Answers Do you believe the county court system needs a computer system upgrade that might cost as much as $12.6 million? If so, do you support using RTA sales tax money to fund the cost, or do you have a different plan? If not, what is your alternative plan?No! I believe that there are two alternatives to improving our computer system: 1. Buy the upgrades from Jano Justice systems . This alternative could cost about $1 million and need to be upgraded/ enhanced every year costing about $250,000/year ( think of how many programmers I can hire for $250,000/year); 2. The Clerk of the Circuit Court office in Du Page has a system that works better than ours or any other system purchased in IL. They developed it using their employees on government time. They have agreed it is in the best interest of the taxpayers to share it with us. Cost $0. It would run on our computer in parallel with our system to satisfy the datais the same from either. Then it would be implemented and the Chief Justice, States Attorney and Sheriff would have the info they don't have the now. The future would be to have both teams of programmers work on the problems of our similar counties. This is possible since both of our county population exceeded 500,000. That the platform that allows similar fees and fines. The Clerk of the Circuit Courts office handles each crime, misdemeanor and fee charged the same whether it's from a big city or a little one. This regionalizing of government offices promotes the voters interest in having more efficient run government perhaps for less money!!How do you resolve the ongoing debate over the county board setting budgets for departments run by other elected officials whom the county board has no control over? How should the county board enforce the budgets it sets'The Elected officials prepare their budgets and submit them for approval by the county board. The elected officials then use the money to run their departments. That being said, the rub comes when the county board wants to reduce spending and demands cuts from one category of the budgets.The elected officials shift money from another budget category and continue to spend the rest of their budget. At the end of the year the elected officials demand more money to function. The real answer is transparency. The elected officials need to explain the needs of running their departments item by item. This current administration has not convinced the board members of the need for each item. That caused a divide that forced a lawsuit.I will be transparent and will advise the board of the needs. I will however be prudent in assesing the real needs. One of which is not to spend $12.6 Million on another computer program ,when working cooperatively with not only our county board but our neighboring county clerks to improve all our systems is the answer. Cooperation not frustration.Do you believe the county board members and chairman should receive health insurance and pension benefits'I believe to get a high caliber of elected officials we need to be competitive in offering them pay and benefits. I also believe we need to evaluate the retirement package in light of some recent findings on retirement pay and benefits in government agency's. The forming of the committee to evualuate this by the Governor should include the county governments.Do you support a more stringent ethics ordinance for Kane County governing the conduct of elected officials and county employees' Why or why not? If so, what should the ordinance contain?I support a more stringent code of ethics for governing the conduct of elected officials and county employees. The above employees were entrusted with the tax payers trust and money. No present or ex employee should be allowed to profit from the sale to the county of any item ( eg. Land or Computer program). The law should prevent this from occuring during and for a minimum of three years from leaving the county employ.