Lucy Chang Evans: 2022 candidate for DuPage County Board District 3

Bio

Party: Democratic

Office sought: DuPage County Board District 3

City: Naperville

Age: 50

Occupation: Civil engineer

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

Q: 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.

A: The chief threat looming is inflation. Labor, fuel, and material costs have increased. The cost of county operations has likewise increased. If faced with expenses that exceed our funds, we must look at cost-cutting measures, revenue streams, and funding sources.

As a former DuPage County employee, I see opportunities to cut costs by consolidating resources across departments. This reduces costs and increases efficiencies and it can be applied to IT, staffing, and equipment usage.

DuPage County has a diversified mix of businesses. Our low crime rate, well-maintained roads, and diverse population encourage commerce. When people can do business in DuPage County, sales tax revenues increase, property values remain healthy, and property tax revenues remain stable.

The infrastructure bill passed by Congress will make federal funds available to DuPage County. We need to be ready to apply for these funds to ensure that we receive all the money we are qualified to receive.

Q: Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

A: The transportation system in DuPage County has room for improvement. Bussing between cities like Wheaton and Naperville is difficult to navigate and inhibits nondriving residents from traveling to their destinations. Improving this system could be a matter of working with the Public Transit Committee to reroute some existing bus lines with minimal costs.

The DuPage Airport in West Chicago just opened its new Customs and Border Protection center. The airport has the capacity to expand its offerings for international flights. Not only would this bring in new revenue to DuPage County, but it would offer residents a much-needed alternative to flying out of Chicago O'Hare or Midway Airport. DuPage County should support this effort.

Q: Should the county board continue to start its regular board meetings with an invocation? Please say why or why not.

A: I do not feel that county board meetings should include an invocation. Although all religions are welcome to lead the invocation, I believe in the separation of church and state. County board meetings should be restricted to county business.

Q: Does there need to be more bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board? If yes, what would you do to help make that happen?

A: Yes, there needs to be more bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board. My role in fostering bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board starts with refraining from making disparaging remarks about my fellow political candidates when we are running for office. DuPage County Board is a partisan board and there will always be members of both parties seated. If we are going to work together as board members, we should start by getting along while we are campaigning. There is much common ground in both parties and we should focus on that.

Q: If your political party has control of the county board after the November election, how would that benefit DuPage residents?

A: Democrats fund fixes for root causes to problems, not just the symptoms. The Democratic Party brought forth the infrastructure bill, which will not only fund new projects, but it will create new jobs with living wages here in DuPage County. This is a benefit to all DuPage residents.

Q: The COVID pandemic put a spotlight on the need for mental health services. What role should the county play in this?

A: DuPage County Board distributes grant money and county funds to various organizations through the Health and Human Service Committee. Many of these organizations offer mental health services in DuPage County and act as a safety net to the most vulnerable members of the population. The county's role should be as a good steward of public trust by distributing funds based on the merits of the receiving organizations and the needs of the people in DuPage County.

Q: What is the single most important issue facing your district and how should the county address it?

A: The biggest issue facing District 3, as well as the rest of DuPage County is aging infrastructure. As we replace our infrastructure, we should be planning for future conditions.

Higher projected rainfall means flooding will increase. Our stormwater facilities must be designed or retrofitted to accommodate higher capacities.

The transition to electric vehicles means that new housing and commercial developments should be EV-ready.

Extreme heat and extreme cold damages our roadways and utilities. When replacing pavement, we should specify climate-resilient materials.

An ounce of prevention is worth of pound of cure when it comes to maintaining our infrastructure. County board should keep this in mind when considering funding for projects to keep the county is good working order.