Q&A with Dist. 5 candidates

Three people are seeking two seats representing District 5 of the DuPage County Board, which serves all or parts of Aurora, Lisle, Naperville and Warrenville. The candidates are Gerry Cassioppi, James Healy and Joe Wozniak. The Daily Herald asked candidates questions about their views on local issues. Following are their responses. Some have been edited to meet the requested maximum of 150 words.

Q. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and, if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?

Cassioppi. After serving this district with distinction, board member Bob Schroeder has chosen not to run for re-election, which will result in a board vacancy. I truly respect Mr. Schroeder's dedication to quality public service and hope to similarly serve and work hard on behalf of this community.

Through years of public service, I have demonstrated that my main motivation is serving the community and acting as a bridge to the people's government. Consistent with my past service, I want to make it clear I am not and never have been a single issue candidate.

Through my experience as an elected and appointed official, community involvement and professionally as a CPA and business attorney, my main priorities are to bring fiscal accountability, common sense and a balanced social and economic perspective to the financial and service issues challenging our county.

Healy. The county board confronts you with challenges beyond your imagination. County government is front porch America, and a challenge I cannot resist. These challenges are why I am running; because I can, and will, make a difference.

My experience and education in local and regional planning, law, transportation and local government allow me a unique opportunity to solve problems confronting our county. I have been an effective board member because of my ability to develop consensus to problems.

I believe that by opening lines of communication and opening government to all our residents, we can identify and solve any problem. I will use this coming term to continue my efforts in the areas of transportation improvements, trails, open government and improving our quality of life in this district.

Wozniak. I am running for county board member to help keep DuPage County a great place to live, work and raise a family. Whatever I can do to make DuPage County even better and more affordable for our citizens will be on my agenda. I (heart) DuPage County, and you can take this to the bank!

Q. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you've led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

Cassioppi. Based on my professional expertise and experience, I will help develop and improve strong financial and strategic plans for the county. Regardless of the outcome of the sales tax referendum, the taxpayers deserve a county government that keeps better track of its finances.

Uncertainty, reliance on parties outside its control and doomsday situations should not be the norm. I will also support creative concepts, including more intergovernmental relationships, private-public partnerships and outsourcing that will benefit the county.

My enthusiasm, open-mindedness and temperament will help make the county and county board function more productively. As I have in the past, I will make myself open and accessible to the residents and community I am serving.

Healy. I am very proud of the number of accomplishments I have. While space is short, I will highlight some of the most important:

• General Budget: including line by line review; requiring accountability; requiring the county look 3, 5 and 10 years into the future.

• Transportation: Naper/I-88 and Eola/I-88 interchanges; funding for improvements to Hobson, Ferry, 75th Street and Eola roads; working at the national level for DuPage; pushing for a safe roads to schools program.

• Safe Drinking Water: served on task forces that brought clean water to Lockformer and Nike areas, and served on the Army Corps' Resident Advisory Board.

• Southern DuPage Trail: Created and worked to push completion of this vital 46-mile trail system, bringing our residents together and promoting its use.

• Openness in Government: Pushed to get information on the county's Web site; helped draft the county's new ethics ordinance.

Wozniak. I'm sure no other candidate for this office of county board member has the overall job experience that I have had, which would help me to be more skillful in my duties.

I have been a businessman, real estate and insurance broker and home builder, as well as an accountant and accounting-budget manager, and law enforcement officer for many years with three departments.

I will bring ideas on transportation and energy conservation to the board.

Q. What is the primary function of the county board?

Cassioppi. Although it seems basic, the county board's function is to support the county government's mission of making the county and its communities desirable places to live, work and raise families. This is to be done through appropriate, effective and innovative services; promoting a high quality of life for all residents; and anticipating issues and developing solutions.

In accomplishing this mission, the county board must be fiscally responsible, seeking to minimize the tax burden of residents and businesses through cost-effective management of expenditures.

Healy. The primary function of the county board is to serve as the legislative body in county government. To approve ordinances and a budget for operation of our county government.

While similar to a city council, it differs in that a county board must work cooperatively with the other "county-wide" elected officials and boards who provide many of the services of county government.

For example, a city council can dictate what its police chief will spend in a year or what programs the police will implement, while a county board must work with the sheriff, who is not obligated to do as the board believes is best.

Furthermore, a county board must also be a partner, a coalition builder over a multi-jurisdictional area of many local governments. A city or park district covers a narrow area.

A county board is confronted with regional issues and must bring together other governmental entities.

Wozniak. A county board member works with the board to manage the county business and serves as a committee member to bring recommendations to the rest of the board. The board member should also serve the needs of citizens of the district and represent the community to the board.

Q. The county is considering enacting a fee for storm water services. If you support this, explain why. If you don't support this, explain why not?

Cassioppi. Presently, I do not support a new fee for storm water services. While I generally support user fee-based services, this approach is, in fact, a property tax surcharge, relating primarily to the property an entity owns.

Such a fee would be unfair to tax-exempt entities such as government entities (many subject to tax caps and no opportunity to recover), and nonprofit organizations such as churches that normally do not pay property taxes.

Unless some of these issues can be addressed and the county has no other reasonable revenue sources, I would not support this fee.

Healy. As of this date, the Stormwater Committee has not completed its review and recommendations. Accordingly, until they have made a complete presentation to the county board, I will keep an open mind.

I recognize that increasing requirements from state and federal regulations have increased the demand for storm water services. A decrease in open space and increase in paved services and the pollutants carried by storm water runoff during a typical storm all play a part in these new demands.

The storm water fee is patterned after the sewage treatment utility fees paid by most residents of this county. When you use water, you pay for a second utility fee (above the cost of the water) to clean the water before it is discharged into our rivers and streams. The storm water fee is supposed to be a utility fee to treat the pollutants carried into sewers after a storm.

Wozniak. No comment.

Q. There has been some discussion of cutting the salary of DuPage County Board members. They now earn $48,620 annually. Should this pay be reduced or not? Should board members continue to get mileage reimbursement, pensions, committee chairmanship stipends and health benefits, or not? Please explain your positions.

Cassioppi. Personally, I have always provided public service for the genuine satisfaction it has provided me. I have never done it "for the money" and have not been compensated with respect to any of my appointed or elected positions.

Although it would not materially impact the county's budget, I believe that part-time county board members must "share the sacrifice" that they are asking the taxpayers to make through the sales tax referendum and county employees to bear through recent budget cuts.

Accordingly, and regardless of the referendum's passage, I would support a meaningful reduction in all county board members' salaries and the elimination of all county board mileage reimbursements for standard commuting, stipends, health benefits and pensions.

I also support phasing out government pension plans and switching to defined contribution plans, much like 401k plans in the private sector.

Healy. County board salaries are suppose to increase over the next year to approximately $53,000. It will be my recommendation that county board salaries should not increase and the salary reduced to its current levels.

Mileage should also be eliminated. For the past several years, due to the budget issues confronting the county, I have voluntarily not taken mileage reimbursements. In addition, I have not requested reimbursement from the county for travel on county business. This year I have spent over $10,000 out of my own pocket, and over the last three years that number is well over $20,000.

While this travel is vital to county operations and future funding from the Federal Government, I realize we all must make sacrifices, so this has been my contribution.

I have also refused my stipends from the county. Once again I feel it is doing my part. I will also be making the recommendation these stipends be eliminated this coming term.

Wozniak. As long as we are asking the county government to reduce costs in preparing the budget, I would not object to a slight reduction in board salaries for a limited time. However, I believe board members are entitled to all the benefits of other county employees and officials. Also, if they don't need certain benefits, they can waive them.

Q. Should the county government have home rule? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Cassioppi. DuPage County should not have home rule unless approved by a voter referendum and I would not otherwise independently seek home rule for the county.

Residents must fully understand that such a decision would give the county the power to tax and to regulate with broad discretion. The idea of home rule was triggered by the increasing urbanization and complexity of society. The theory was that some problems are inherently local in nature and are better dealt with at the local level since a "one-size fits all" state legislative solution couldn't possibly foresee local problems.

If enough residents supported these concepts and home rule was approved via referendum, I believe the county government would operate in a responsible manner. Further, home rule comes with checks and balances: voters can vote out the county leaders and can also repeal home rule.

Healy. The plan by some to make the county home rule by judicial fiat is a slap in the face to the voters of this county.

Whether you are for or against home rule, the voters, not the county board, should decide this issue. If the voters of this county have changed their minds (having previously said no to home rule) then let's put it on the ballot and ask the voters to decide. The idea that by smoke and mirrors we can claim to be home rule, is a sham and should not be allowed.

I am not a fan of home rule taxing powers. I believe it is the lazy man's out of tough economic decisions. The taxing powers granted in home rule allows a unit of local government and "easy out" a "quick fix" by allowing them to implement any tax they deem fit as long as the state has not pre-empted the specific tax.

Wozniak. Home rule was voted down by the voters in DuPage County in the 1970s. If the question comes up before the county government again, I believe it should be placed on the ballot for the voters to make the decision if they want home rule or not. Also, any "new" tax increase proposal should be placed on the ballot, as is being done for the public safety tax. This allows the voters to take part in the process.

Q. How should the county fund its operations in the future? What do you think of increasing the county sales tax to fund operations? What do you think of creating a county vehicle sticker tax to fund operations?

Cassioppi. Regarding funding, the county should live within its means. Subject to proper long-range financial and strategic planning, the county must provide essential services.

I am convinced that the necessary cuts have been made in recent years. I support the county sales tax referendum; it is an appropriate way to meet the county's immediate needs.

However, it is not the long term revenue source that the county needs to best serve its taxpayers. I have similar reservations regarding the cigarette tax.

One other possible way to increase revenue would be some form of a hotel and motel tax, but unfortunately there may be limitations on this reasonable approach. Being as creative financially and legally possible, and with or without the state's cooperation, the county must continue to limit expenses and develop fair revenue sources necessary to serve the county's residents.

Healy. In addition to asking voters in a referendum about increasing the taxes they pay, I am a strong proponent of a user fee system.

If we take as a financial base an amount of funds necessary to meet the basic obligations of county government, those funds the county board seeks to expend over that amount, or become necessary to spend over that amount because of services request by a few people, should be paid for by the person(s) asking for the extra expenditure, or whom are requiring the extra expenditure.

The exception to this is when the voters, in a referrendum, agree to foot the additional bill. User fees simply ask the person(s) requiring the expenditure of county funds to pay the costs.

Many of the county's fees have not been increased for 10-plus years. It is time we work to get the legislature to allow us to raise fees.

Wozniak. The county needs to run more like business and operate under a five-year plan to properly plan for income and expenses. I am not a person who likes to increase taxes nor create taxes.

Creating a countywide vehicle tax is definitely a no-no as far as I am concerned. I think this is also a dead issue as far as the county board is concerned. The tax that I can accept is the cigarette tax, which I am sure will eventually pass at the state level and help county government.

An important issue I would like to see the county board address is to work on turning the county facilities "green." Also, add solar panels and wind turbines and windmills in appropriate areas to create electrical energy and to be able to sell back the excess energy to the power company, as is allowed by law. This is being done elsewhere around the country with success.