Jeff Castle: 2024 candidate for DuPage County Forest Preserve Board District 4

Bio

Party: Republican

Office Sought: DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioner Dist 4

City: Glen Ellyn

Age: 43

Occupation: Carpenter/Home Remodeling, self-employed

Previous offices held: Milton Township Trustee

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?

If there is one primary focus of my campaign, it is to bring a fresh mindset to the Board. I believe that our Forest Preserves are always being perfected, and that is why turnover for board members is beneficial to the overall health of the board.

If you are an incumbent, describe your two biggest contributions to the board. If you are a non-incumbent, describe two ways you would contribute to the board.

1) I bring to the table all the necessary traits of a productive board member, Budgeting, foreshadowing needs, and the ability to work with other board members to determine the strategic direction of the Forest Preserves that best represents the will and needs of the taxpayers.

2) Coming from a construction background, I will be an asset while on the board when discussing any projects. I also offer a creative thought process that will undoubtedly lend very well to discussions regarding expansion or future planning.

What role should the forest preserve play in preserving historic buildings on its land?

I believe that the Forest Preserve should always protect our historic landmarks. The rich history of DuPage County is something that should be both honored and celebrated. Working together through intergovernmental agreements with local municipalities and through agreements with private organizations, we can preserve the buildings and structures that were built by those who came before us and carved the path for what made this County such a great place to live.

How would you rate the job the commission is doing to develop existing forest preserves and make them accessible to residents? How would you approach things differently?

I would rate it a B+. One instance where I believe I could have done better is regarding the installation of 4 bathroom structures in our Preserves at a cost of $742,000 each. I would have insisted that we research other structures that can be more affordable and also built by Local and Responsible Union Labor as opposed to prefabricated out of state. I don't believe there was enough productive conversation before this decision was made.

What is the most important issue facing the forest preserves in your district and how should it be addressed?

I believe the biggest issue is efficiency in spending. As outlined in a previous answer, the purchase of these bathroom units was an example of inefficient spending. As Commissioner, if presented with an idea such as this, I would work together with fellow Commissioners and our Board President to craft a plan that is as responsible as possible but delivers the best product our Preserve guests have come to expect from our facilities.

We also need to research whether switching our equipment to battery power vs. gasoline is efficient spending or not. I believe we should perform a comprehensive cost savings analysis on our newly purchased battery powered equipment and find out if it is actually saving us money and lowering our carbon footprint.

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?

I do not support that idea. While I do support smaller government, I believe that the Forest Preserve being separate from the County Board makes it more efficient. In its current state, the Forest Preserve is able to focus on itself and its own needs. As opposed to County Board members overseeing the forest preserves and many other functions of the County. Undoing the separation of the two boards would undoubtedly lead to lower quality Forest Preserves and neglect.