Don Krause: 2022 candidate for DuPage County Forest Preserve Board District 2
Bio
Party: Republican
Office sought: DuPage County Forest Preserve Board District 2
City: Lisle
Age: 67
Occupation: Retired
Previous offices held: None
Q&A
Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?
On November 18, 2021, I saw a FaceBook post of signing a $41.5M bond by a Board of Commissioners- DuPage Forest Preserve member. I was unaware of this large bond being on the table before November 18, 2021. I thought shame on me, and the more I dug, the more frustrated I became as there was limited publicity on the massive bond.
This $41.5 million bond should have had a referendum. I decided to run for Forest Preserve District 2 Commissioner to bring commonsense conservative values to the board.
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?
As a lifelong resident of DuPage County, I have supported and participated in the development of our Forest Preserves. I will be a “true representative” for the constituents in District 2, seeking and utilizing their input. Applying a commonsense approach to problem-solving coupled with my professional experience in marketing and production control, I will bring fresh ideas and solutions to the Forest Preserve District's challenges. These plans will be developed and communicated clearly to the constituents and the Forest Preserve team.
Once elected to office, I promise to:
• Have open two-way communications with my constituents
• Protect and maintain our preserves
• Optimize operation efficiencies
• Expand trail interconnectivity
• Hold the line on taxes & spending
• Plant Oak trees
• Expand our preserves & trail system through property acquisition
• Develop a “Preserve our mental health” program
• Improve security
What are the county's open space needs and how should this board address them?
The number one need projected by the Master Plan study was improved trails and interconnectivity between various preserves and other DuPage destinations. The increase of open spaces should be centered around land acquisition to deliver the results the constituents want.
Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the county should deal with them.
The current budget is currently solvent but fragile. We must plan for the potential of another interruption in revenues. Zero-based budgeting would provide a clear view of where the expenditures are going and ensure that the Forest Preserve District remains solvent.
How do you rate the county government on transparency and the public's access to records? If you consider it adequate, please explain why. If you think improvements are needed, please describe them and why they are important.
The lack of clarity and transparency triggered my decision to run for Forest Preserve Commissioner of District 2. When trying to get to the bottom of the $42.5 million bond it wasn't easy to find and piece together what had happened.
I will make sure that the budget and expenditures are spelled out clearly so that all constituents will have easy access to the information and spell it out in layman's terms.
complexity of the
Describe your position regarding the state of the forest preserve district's budget, describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the district should handle them.
It is time to put the brakes on “Big Structural” project spending. The Forest Preserve's main objective is to preserve our forests and their use by our constituents. Protecting and maintaining our investments must be the top priority.
Name one concrete program you'll create or personnel move you'll make to improve efficiency in the office or make it more successful. Explain how it will be funded and how you will overcome any obstacles to initiating it.
Zero-based budgeting would bring optimization efficiency to our business operation. Actual savings would offset the upfront costs to streamline our budgets throughout the years.