Silvia S. Schrage: 2024 candidate for Kane County Board District 20

Bio

Party: Republican

Office Sought: Kane County Board District 20

City: Elgin

Age: 60

Occupation: Adjunct ESL Instructor

Previous offices held: Member of Elgin Township Communitiy Mental Health Board

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?

I’m running for office because our current board is not using common sense in the appropriation of funds that should be used for the common good.

The board had a golden opportunity to use $24 million in surplus ARPA funds to help Elgin and Aurora speed up the replacement of lead pipes. To date, Elgin has changed the lead service lines of about 2,000 homes and has about 10,000 more to go, and Aurora has more than 17,000 homes with lead service lines.

I addressed the board in person suggesting that they follow Elgin’s example and seize this opportunity to take the lead service lines out of 2,000 more homes. Instead of using those funds to address an everyday health hazard for thousands of homes, they wasted time and energy on a proposal for a new health department building consisting of office space, meeting rooms and storage.

We need to use funds in ways that protect our most critical resources to ensure better health outcomes for future generations of Kane County residents.

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?

My priority at the board will be to represent the voice of those who are not being heard. As I talk to voters from all precincts in my district, I've found many whose very real needs are not being met.

This is not just the case of those who do not speak the language or don't know the system well enough, but also of neighbors whose serious needs are being ignored.

When people are struggling to make ends meet, we should not pile onto them more demands, but make sure they live in a healthy and safe environment.

Many of the issues I've found may not be county issues per se. Yet, having a better understanding of the severity of some of the needs will give me a different perspective on what matters and where any surplus funds should go. I come to this role having been an advocate for those not being heard as the first manager of Cross Cultural Communications at Sherman Hospital, where I drafted hospital-wide procedures to ensure better treatment of patients with limited English proficiency.

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.

Spending must be equal to or less than revenues, because communities that are saddled with debt end up passing the cost onto our children. Some of the chief threats I see are taking on too many unfunded initiatives. The county should be careful about acquiring property that doesn't generate revenues to at least cover its maintenance cost. We should make sure we don’t reduce the number of businesses in our area, but rather welcome them.

One of the precincts in my district bears the brunt of public safety concerns, and the district overall is experiencing an increase in crime and homelessness. Some residents have complained about the ineffectiveness of security in keeping drugs out of schools.

Reckless driving is so rampant on both county and city roads, that one woman said her chief concern was crossing the street safely in front of her own house. When the same issues are experienced throughout the county, the county could facilitate county-wide discussions on possible solutions.

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

When elected, I will apply commonsense to the common good, and prioritize the use of tax dollars to solve practical needs, giving priority to public safety and health.

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

The county should consider carefully the root causes of mental health problems and address them.

I sit on the Elgin Township Community Mental Health Board, which focuses on addressing gaps in mental health care, and will be supportive of a holistic approach to mental health that goes beyond prescribing drugs.

Overdose reversal drugs like naloxone or Narcan are critically important during emergencies to prevent death from an overdose, but I am concerned about the side effects from improper dosage and the false comfort that can be derived from having an antidote, which might deter opioid users from facing the gravity of their addiction.

I’m supportive of the work of Dr. Robert Renteria in providing an alternative to the appeal of gangs and drugs, through his book “From the Barrio to the Boardroom.” I'm also supportive of schools taking steps to curb the use of cell phones. In general, if our solutions provide more choices, they will foster more balanced and fulfilling lives.

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

Our county board has prioritized burdensome mandates, tax increases, and shortsighted policies that limit economic growth and make it harder for families and businesses to get by.

My opponent recently voted to increase our fuel tax by 70% and to increase our sales tax, looking for yearly increases matching the maximum cost of living increase. Kane County residents are forced to make difficult financial decisions, and our local small businesses are struggling against rising costs and fees that threaten to drive them out of business.

The county should bring together those who have been looking at different facets of the housing problem. A prime example that comes to mind is Tom Roeser of Otto Engineering, who has done a phenomenal job of restoring homes and financing them for his employees.The county has also done very well at helping farmers sell to first generation farmers, which is facilitating the affordability and sustainability of farming for future generations.