Daniel J. Kordik: 2022 candidate for DuPage County Board, District 2
Bio
Party: Republican
Office sought: DuPage County Board, District 2
City: Oak Brook
Age: 63
Occupation: Attorney/small business owner/founder, Kordik Law Firm
Previous offices held: Villa Park Elementary School District 45 Board of Education Member (1988-1995), York Township Clerk (2005-2021), elected Republican Precinct Committeeman including serving as Chairman of the York Township Republicans
Q&A
Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?
The particular issue that motivates me to run for DuPage County Board Member is public safety. On December 23, 2021, I was at my Oak Brook home preparing for the Christmas holiday, when a shooting took place at Oak Brook Mall literally in my own backyard, injuring innocent bystanders. Although I also contemplated running for another office, public safety and support for law enforcement, our sheriff and state's attorney, and keeping DuPage County from becoming like Cook County with regard to crime, are issues that motivated me on that day to run for DuPage County Board member.
If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?
Challenger: I would draw upon my background in accounting (Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, passed CPA Exam) and law (Law Degree from The University of Illinois College of Law), small business owner experience having founded my own law firm in DuPage County and will bring to the Board a wide ranging breadth of experience from many levels of public service ranging from serving as a Villa Park Elementary School District 45 Board Member, as a Villa Park Planning and Zoning Commissioner, as the York Township Clerk, as a member of the District 45 Citizens Advisory Committee on Budget/Referendum, as the Villa Park Vision 2000 Committee Chairperson, and as the municipal member of the DuPage County Board Solid Waste (Recycling) Committee, to name a few. Public safety will be my top budget priority.
Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming and how the county should deal with them.
The county board has done a good job balancing spending and revenues during the decade of 2010- 2019, but with COVID year expenses exceeding revenues and the highest inflation rate in 40 years, significant financial threats are looming. Raising taxes is not the solution.
How do you rate the county government on transparency and the public's access to records? If it's adequate, explain why. If you think improvements are needed, delineate them.
I give the county high ratings on transparency with former County Auditor Bob Grogan's leadership essentially making the county's checkbook available online. It should however be easier for the public to be able to search how a particular board member voted on a particular agenda issue. Try searching on the county's website for the roll call vote when the County doubled the gasoline tax rate - a better search engine is needed.
What, if anything, should be done to improve automation and customer service in county offices? What steps should be taken to make that happen?
Make it easier to watch county board meetings live, and as set forth above a more user friendly search engine to obtain information.