Greg Schwarze: 2024 candidate for DuPage County Board District 6

Bio

Party: Democrat

Office Sought: DuPage County Board District 6

City: Carol Stream

Age: 58

Occupation: Retired firefighter/paramedic

Previous offices held: DuPage County Board (two terms 2020-present); Carol Stream Village Trustee (four terms 2007-2020)

Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I am running for reelection to continue fighting for the hard-working people of DuPage County. Public service has always been a passion of mine as has been evident in both my professional and personal life.

I spent over 28 years as a local firefighter and paramedic, including 17 years as the fire district's public education officer. I was an elected Carol Stream Village Trustee for over 13 years.

I've been a Rotarian, a Lion, a youth sports coach, a Sunday school teacher, and I currently serve on the board of trustees for the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association. And I am currently in my fourth year on the county board.

It is in all of these roles that I've seen firsthand the challenges our residents face on a daily basis. Issues like food insecurity, housing affordability, mental health struggles, senior citizen/retirement issues, public safety concerns, and more. I am running for reelection to continue addressing these concerns

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?

I am very blessed to be in a position to help the residents I serve, and I have been working hard over the past 3½ years on the board.

As chair of the Human Services Committee, I have fought to make sure our residents have enough to eat. Food insecurity has increased exponentially over the past two years with the prices of food soaring. I have secured over $8 million for this concern, not just providing food to our food pantries, but also using over $2 million for capital items such as refrigerated food trucks, delivery vans, storage units, and IT equipment. All of this helps feed our residents now and for years to come.

As chair of ETSB, I secured all new interoperable radios for every police officer and firefighter within DuPage County. These radios replaced outdated 12-year-old radios making our first responders safer, and saving our taxpayers millions of dollars. I was also instrumental in creating our 211 social services hotline, helping those in need.

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.

I am proud of the financial status of DuPage County. We recently received a AAA Bond rating from Fitch, and now join an elite group of fewer than 2% of U.S. counties that enjoy a AAA bond rating from all three major rating agencies — Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service, and Standard & Poor's Ratings Service.

DuPage County has also received the Distinguished Budget Award from the Government Finance Officers Association, the highest form of recognition in government budgeting. All of this reflects the solid work we are doing on the county board to protect tax dollars. And we continue to keep a balanced budget without raising taxes. The biggest challenge is the food insecurity issues DuPage County continues to face.

Statistics show over 80K people in the county don't know where their next meal will come from, including 30K children. We are food funded for 2025 with American Rescue Plan Act and ARPA interest, but beyond that, we will need to make sure we keep our residents fed.

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

I am proud to be considered a strong bipartisan member of the county board. I believe if an elected official is doing things for the right reasons, that is, to work to make life better for all residents, working across the aisle comes naturally. Chair Conroy's leadership on the board has been a positive factor in Democrats and Republicans working together and making sure our residents benefit. I will continue to be an independent voice for ALL residents regardless of political party.

Earlier this year, some suggested that the 1996 state law that established a separate forest preserve board in DuPage County should be undone and that the forest preserve should be returned to the control of the county board. Do you support that idea? Why or why not?

At this point, I would oppose Forest Preserve control by the county board. I believe there could be potential conflict between development and conservation, where certainly some county board members value one over the other. A dedicated forest preserve board is important in maintaining the integrity of our forest preserves and ensuring they remain a valuable asset for our residents.

What are your thoughts about the condition of the county fairgrounds in Wheaton? Should the county play a greater role in improving and maintaining the structures on the property?

The fairgrounds were crucial during the COVID outbreak, providing a haven for vaccinations for our residents.

I am a huge proponent of keeping the fairgrounds, and support the county board playing a role in potential upgrades in the future. Few places like this remain in the county, and the fairgrounds provide a wonderful event venue for our residents.

Our role as elected officials is to help make DuPage County a wonderful place to live, work, and raise families, and I believe the fairgrounds contribute to this mission.

What are your thoughts about the consolidation? Should the county play a greater role in streamlining and consolidating local government? Why or why not?

Government consolidation can be an effective strategy in some cases, particularly when it leads to more efficient use of resources, streamlined services, and improved coordination between agencies. However, I believe it should not be pursued as a blanket solution. Each situation should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific needs of the community, the services involved, and the potential impact on local governance. Consolidation should only proceed when it clearly benefits the public without compromising representation or service quality.

What role should the county play in combating the opioid crisis?

As a former firefighter/paramedic, I have seen firsthand the tragedy of addiction. I was very fortunate to be a member of the HOPE Opioid Task Force from 2021-2023, and now serve on the DCSS Mental Health Board.

For years, I have been advocating for proactive prevention education, and as a member of the HOPE Task force, I helped secure over $30k to be used for opioid specific education in middle schools and high schools within DuPage County. I have also reached out to the state legislature to support Louie's Law, which makes drug-curricula available to schools K-12. I believe much of the work we did on the HOPE Task Force has paid off, as overdose deaths declined for the first time in over a decade in 2023, dropping 24% from 2022. On the DCSS, I will continue to keep this crisis at the forefront as mental health assistance is needed for parents and families of those with addictions. I am also very excited for the new Crisis Recovery Center which is scheduled to open in 2025.

What role should the county play in increasing affordable housing in the region?

The cost of homes in DuPage County has skyrocketed over the past 5 years. It is very difficult for many to live here, including first-time homebuyers such as our adult children, among others. I am proud to be on the county's Affordable Housing Committee in which $5 million was set aside to help find solutions. And while the committee is still in the education/investigation phase, we continue to keep this issue a priority.

One small step the county board just took at our late August meeting, was to update the zoning ordinance to allowing accessory dwelling units, which offer low-cost housing opportunities for residents, and can also assist current homeowners financially. The county board and our Affordable Housing Committee are working to find various solutions to this major issue.